In Search of Cinderella

by Shel Silverstein

From dusk to dawn,
From town to town,
Without a single clue,
I seek the tender, slender foot
To fit this crystal shoe.
From dusk to dawn,
I try it on
Each damsel that I meet.
And I still love her so, but oh,
I've started hating feet.

Ah, this poem is an apt metaphor for why I hung up my dating spurs
in my early 40s. After 20 years on the front lines, I felt I'd earned
my retirement. I had not (and still haven't) completely given up
on the idea of finding a soulmate, I just wasn't willing to devote
any more time to looking for him. So I hope he's out there
looking for me.