Johndavid Haring's "My Lovely Wife" follows a man looking back over his whole marriage, from nervous first date to old age. The early stanzas are light and playful: cotton candy kisses, movie night, feeding geese at the park. The short lines and plain rhymes make these memories feel cheerful and a little boyish, as if he's reliving them with fresh excitement.
Then the tone shifts. Once the speaker is "alone at home," the rhythm stays just as simple, but the words carry grief. Ten years have passed since his wife died, and he still can't quite believe she's gone. The children have grown and have families of their own, which suggests time has moved on while his heart hasn't.
The mood ends up tender and gently sad, but also calm. He doesn't sound bitter. Echoing the phrase "my lovely wife" in the last line, he looks toward death as a reunion, which gives the poem a quiet note of comfort and hope.