A fire burns strongly
in the night,
feeding off  the
oxygen that leaves
my body every time
his gaze meets mine.

I see his eyes’ warmth flicker
on and off
like the filament
of a lightbulb,
turning a shade darker 
when scanning the mass
then
burning brightly when
the orbs align with mine.

Nerve fibres 
catch on fire, kindling 
to my sweaty palms and
the shaky breath
that rattles in my chest.

A fire has started that
we cannot control,
a conflagration
that burns the room 
around us,
scorching the bodies of 
the occupants within.

These people are oblivious
To the blaze that 
creeps up the walls, 
fed by the tug of heartstrings
pulled taught with separation.

They are oblivious
to the heat
to the burn
to the pain
of two people locking eyes
across a crowded room.

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