I remember the first time I saw you
So tall, so handsome
You looked at me and then quickly looked away
My breath caught

Breathe I told myself, breathe

Every time I saw you after that, 
My reaction was always the same.
I had to remind myself to
Breathe.

It never occurred to me to approach you,
What would I have said to you?
That you take my breath away?
You didn’t even know who I was.

I was just one of many who admired you from afar,
One of many who wanted to be yours
One of many who had to remind themselves to 
Breathe.

I don’t remember what happened that made me brave.
I was going to approach you, I was just going to say hello
My heart pounded erratically as I looked for you in a room full of people.
Then I saw you. Breathe I reminded myself.

I was halfway to you, and then I saw her.
So beautiful. Hanging on to your arm.
The diamond on her finger glittering in the light.
My breath caught and my heart… It hurt.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe.

That was many years ago
And no one has ever made my breath catch as you did.
Life happened, births, deaths, marriages and everything in between.
I still had to remind myself to breathe but for different reasons.

Then one day, I looked up and there you were.
My breath caught as it did all those years ago.
I looked for her, the one that you married as I reminded myself to 
Breathe.

You are much older as am I; time has taken its toll
You don’t stand as tall, your hair that was so dark
Is now gray and thinning, your eyes are obscured by glasses
But you are still him, the one who made my breath catch

This time when our eyes met, you didn’t look away
When you walked toward me, my throat tightened
What was I going to say to you?
Breathe I reminded myself. Breathe.

So here we are months later after that first kiss
That first touch. You are waiting for me to come toward you.
As I walk toward you, everyone ceases to exist.
Your eyes are on me and no one else.

As I reach you, I realize that from now until the day 
I no longer exist, from now until I am no more
I will have to daily remind myself to
Breathe.

That thought alone,makes my breath catch
Breathe 
I tell myself as I walk toward you
Just
breathe