i saw you
briefly
in the corner
of my mind’s eye
standing silently
at the edge of
the crowd
for a second
our eyes met
yours widened
mine squinted
as i tried to
believe
what i saw
was truly there
you vanished
lost in the
faceless face of the crowd
while i stood
on teetering legs
gut punched
by the slice of beauty
that slipped away

could you hear
my whispered
declaration
spat softly
into the noise of
the ever pressing
world
against me

is that why
you fled

i woke to the ache
of you missing
as the skies
turned to gray