What She Taught Him Poem by Makarand Paranjape

Among other things,
to be as good as possible,
and never explain oneself afterwards;
to wait, wait, wait, till it hurts
but humbly receive what's freely given;
to share as much as possible
only if he didn't regret it later;
always in love to be natural,
not planning obsessively for the future.
Never to expect the other person
to be true, even to her promises;
likewise, never to give excuses or reasons
for his behaviour with her;
never to indulge in recriminations
or be vindictive when it's over;
always, to be prepared for the end
even when so much is left unfinished;
to be grateful for what life offers,
and never push one's luck-above all,
to live with uncertainty,
and, if possible, enjoy it.

[From Partial Disclosure]