There is a Chinese proverb that says Kissing is like drinking Salted water Because that act of drinking Only increases the thirst And with your touch There are oceans in my lungs There are waves of brine in my throat Knocking into sodium crystals That dissolve themselves Against the roof of my mouth But the sweetness of your voice The syrup of your kiss and the sugar Of your promises Turn my tongue into Atlantic City’s taffy And the rushes of blood through my veins Crest and break With white foam And I’m wary of the silver fins and ivory teeth That must be gathering at the call of the red in the tide But still I swim out farther To take in all that I can Quaffing rivers Streams Rain puddles And oceans Until somehow my thirst is quenched Or until I simply surrender to your arms Because a parched throat may be maddening But your embrace calms the waters That made sailors reach for sirens And it’s a red sky at night on the ocean As we lean in for one more kiss