DESIRE AND REALITY

I hear your voice,
Soft, sweet, coming from far away.
I hear it clearly
As though you are sitting near me.
Distance is meaningless
In the hearing of it.
Distance is everything
When it comes to touching
My lips to yours.
How soft is a touch
When it is mere words
On a page?
How sweet is a kiss
That happens in my mind?
So sweet, indeed,
I can almost taste it
On my tongue.
The ache, too real,
My lips not as fooled.
My arms, too empty,
Reach out.
The air I find,
Too cold.

-Steven Willy Rachlin 1/11/10