Longing

The hole...no the chasm inside me tears open
the burning in the center of my chest sears my flesh
the longing...the yearning...the neediness
my soul quakes with the urgency.

Her head is clasped to my chest,
her arms encircle me and hold on tight,
the perfume of her shampoo fills my nostrils
the bubbling laughter fills my ears.

The excitement of youth expressed by one I love so
it reverberates off her being and enters mine
I soak in the sunlight of her smile
and bask in the glow of her youthful aura.

I drive away and the yearning starts small
with each minute I drive away,
the burning gets hotter,
tears rush unbidden to try to wash the wound.

For though this is a child I love,
it is not the child I crave.
But the sweet aroma of her shampoo and her warm embrace
will tide me over till the child I crave is in my arms.