A Woman Revealed

As a Marine stationed
Down in Panama,
He showed up
With a girl in tow
Whom he had picked up
At a local whore house.
His buddies
Made fun of him
Behind his back
Because they judged
Her nose to be too big
And her teeth
Were crooked.
It turned out she had
A bachelors degree
In business,
But came from
A very poor family,
And was trying
To support them
The only way she could.
Eight months later
He showed up
With her again,
Only this time
Her teeth were straight
And her nose
Had been fixed
And she had the most
Dazzling smile.
His buddies had only seen
What was on the surface,
But he had recognized
What she could become.
Twelve years later
I came across her name
On a university website
And looked her up.
They were happily married
With three kids.
She had earned
A doctorate degree,
And was supporting
The family as a professor,
And he was a
Stay at home dad.
Oh Lord, grant me
The vision to see
Beyond what is
To what can be.