Tomorrow Christi and I will be married 10 years! My understanding of love is so much deeper than it was when I was 20. Most young love is superficial. Old love isn’t. (And I’m sure I will learn more of love in the next 10 years!) I think Shakespeare captures this nicely in this humorous sonnet. (Understand that Shakespeare made fun of the coventional perception of beauty in his day – shining eyes, red lips, pale skin, rosy cheeks, golden hair, perfumed breath, graceful and angelic carriage, etc.) Enjoy!
Sonnet 130
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask’d, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks,
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go,
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
