that casual catching of breath in plain appreciation

why shouldn't men look at women 

and women look at men 

and women look at women 

and men look at men 

why shouldn't they 

size each other up (as 

we used to say) 

 

why isn't there more 

of that looking     that 

casual catching of 

breath in plain 

appreciation or rejection     why 

isn't there more of it     what 

old people sometimes ex- 

perienced     as shock and a 

dangerous heartbeat which 

sometimes erupted into 

love at first sight (as 

it is called to this day) 

and as old people we must 

warn     it may once in a startling 

while last forever (as it 

is called) 

 

[Grace Paley {1922-2007} 'why shouldn't men look at women', from Fidelity]