© Pia Ulin

Body of a woman, white hills, white thighs,
when you surrender, you stretch out like the world.

Cuerpo de mujer, blancas colinas, muslos blancos,
te pareces al mundo en tu actitud de entrega.

Pablo Neruda

One of the things I loved most about being married was snuggling in bed wrapped in the arms of my beloved in the early hours of the morning.  It was during those precious moments under warm layers of an eiderdown and cotton sheets, with our bodies intertwined as one, that we shared our innermost thoughts, hopes, and dreams.

Forsaking all others, we talked in hushed tones and tenderly stroked each other’s heads and soft spots until dawn’s first light.  I savored and luxuriated in those moments of reverie and touch before we would reluctantly break away to begin the morning routine.  Building a few minutes of intimacy and pleasure into the start of the day can make all the difference to a relationship and the quality of your life.  You may come to treasure and yearn for more of those tender times, too.

© Tom Shannon