when you slipped
your hand
with sudden
surprising confidence
into mine - 

we were walking away
hoping to escape
the crowds
the noise
looking for where
we could be new
and happy
consciously forgetting
it couldn’t last

- that moment
spontaneous
a spark
turning in an instant 
into a fading hum
too subtle
I felt it
slipping away

- has won out
against the erosion
of the years.
And I hold it
close to my heart
even today.