you remember treasured liplocks,
moments of sweaty anticipation,
knowing that there is nothing else
but this instant, someone’s butterfly lips
meeting yours in frenzy or tenderness.

And, no matter what follows—recalling
your lips brushing your grandmother’s papery
cheek, the joyful leaping licks of a dog
delighted by your mere existence,
the affectionate peck a friend bestows
upon you or you upon them,

or, if you’re lucky, the routine exchange
of lips on lips with a beloved with whom
you share your life, or a child you adore—

you realize that there is nothing ordinary
in a kiss, the quickest shorthand to a heart,
telegraphing an i-love-you message with
such immediacy, such power, no wonder
these lip salutations can leave you
stunned, breathless, amazed
to find yourself so beloved.