poetry for the poetic: 5

LI

his cheek is soft against mine
and the world around us stills
there is something magical in the air
a spell

i loathe to break

but i take a moment
and remember how to breathe

my breath is unsteady
and in the silence
it seems loud as a crashing wave
but he sighs with me
and soon our chests rise and fall together

and my lungs aren't burning anymore
but my heart aches
because his lips are inches away
no more than a tilt of the head
and an unspoken promise tossed to the side
and i know he would let me
and i know he loves me
but he does not want this
and i would be happy to spend a thousand nights
mourning the closeness of his lips
if i could spend those nights beside him.

and he knows this
and he knows i want more than he can ever give to me
and he knows i wish i didn't
and he knows i'm hurting.

and so he takes my hand
and his fingers weave together with mine
and he squeezes my hand
and it is not what i want
but it is what i need
he is what i need
and if this is what he wants to give me
then it is more than good enough.