Someone Never Met

A picture’s worth a thousand words, they say,

But when I saw yours I only heard one breath.

It was mine, catching quick in my throat,

While my heart beat faster someone never met.

After a few hellos and brief talk, mostly small,

A hint of someone I could have known well once upon a time.

Someone caring, sharing, and warm to touch, then I pause,

Wondering if you exist any place other than my mind.

Another look at the photo puts me again into fantasy,

Of staring into the eyes of a stranger, and yet,

Not truly a stranger, you can’t be, the way that you stir me,

And my heart beats faster for someone never met.

One moment, through words, you seem so close,

The next you’re gone and I can’t feel you at all.

You belong to another, I know this, and me, a stranger getting stranger,

With each passing word, and phrase, and sentence too long.

I could keep silent and let the chance to speak pass me by,

But keeping silent is seldom what I choose to do.

So though strangers we’ll remain, and the hellos will soon cease,

Know that, for a while, my heart beats faster for you.