A stranger’s smile,
a salty smirk,
a playful break
from life’s work;

Short blonde hair
waves from
several seats away,
beyond my reach
but does not escape
desire’s eyes.

A beautiful young,
pretty someone,
who I will never see again,
is passing, barely speaking,
but listening intently
to the night’s poetry.

Then she evaporates
into a mist of
mystery,
before I get the chance
to say anything
worthwhile to her.

Instead, desire
dries and dies,
a bitter note
choking
in my throat.