A Fading Valentine

Winded . . . jogging the shoreline past knee high surf shirt sullied front to back like Jack Frost at recess in the noonday sun Huffing an extra moment while puffing at the lakeside air Musing at your approach gazing puppet-like to your breath-robbing stride Enticing yet demure you side-step surf framed with endless sand and comber wave Passing within a smile's length Synchronizing your intended dance with a smiling glance Only. . . you're met with silence while the sounds of surf gently fade below the pulse in my throbbing chest My one line arsenal timorous left home by the mirror My response ? A sheepish urge to flip driftwood with an idle foot Another potential Valentine swept away like the water erasing your steps The drifting wood strikes my unguarded ankle ~