Sitting with the soft, white sand covering my toes,
While the warm breeze tousles my fiery red hair
Dozens of beachgoers mill all around me
With their umbrellas and chairs and suntan oils.

Still, it feels incredibly quiet
As the seagulls fly around,
The pelicans gracefully glide,
And the dolphins swim and play.

No sounds penetrate my mind
For I am mesmerized by the vision of you
Your dark hair with a smattering of gray
Our eyes meet, and my heart jumps.

Your fingers touch mine gently at first
Then our hands hold tight
As you pull me in closer for a kiss
That melts against my lips.

So sensual and magical
As if we’ve been transported to
Our own private paradise
Where only you and I exist.

Then reality drags us back
As we accidentally knock over my drink
But we laugh and feel, just for a moment,
Like the world is still ours alone.

I try hard not to take any of it for granted
Knowing that in a matter of hours
You’ll be boarding a plane again
Headed to another time and place

Away from me.