Surplus Scarcity

He loved her in hushed tones

Like a rumor perched between his lips

Held hostage by anxious thoughts

And visions of what could have been.

Every breath emerging from hesitation

Slid past fumbling fingers

And tension that was less a form of art

Than a simple extension of existence.

Each association was shaken down

Examined for vulnerabilities

Then held at an arm’s length.

Eyes squinting and ears pricked

For the inevitable signs of boredom

Discretely widening pockets of silence

Footsteps fading in the distance.