My heart beats in my chest
like the tick-tock of a clock
measuring the distance between us.
How long will it be?
I wish I could see
the exact date on the calendar
so I could count down to the moment of your touch
like a child waiting for Christmas.
I wish I could see
the exact place in our lives
so that I could sit there on a lawn chair
through the wind and the rain
like a baseball fan waiting for opening day tickets.
My heart keeps on ticking
but I don’t know when the clock strikes noon
or what to do
if it never gets there.
I can almost feel strands of your hair
running between my fingers and across your cheek.
I can hardly speak
until that day of the week finally comes.
My heart pounds like a drum
calling out to the moon and sun
for the kiss of dewdrops on the green leaves of spring
after the silence of a leafless winter.
The beat counts off the days
and my whole body sways
waiting for a sunrise that may never come.
Either way
the pelting sleet of fall is all gone now
and somehow all the drops
that streamed down my cheeks
have dried on the lips of a smile.
It’s been a while
since my face felt so warm
but when I close my eyes
and listen to the tick-tock in my chest
I can feel the strength of the rhythm
massaging my whole body with warmth.
Yes, I’m still counting the beat
to measure the distance until our lips meet
but the wait is over.
You’ve already touched me
with the smile in your eyes
the poetry that pours from your pen and your lips
the tick-tock of your heart
and that’s enough for me to dance to the beat.
So if you ever hear
the tick-tock of a clock
pounding in your own chest
when you look my way
let me know so we can play
a duet together.