Gabriel, lost in a reflection

i looked up and saw her. you know the scene in films, where their eyes meet
and you’d swear that not only was time standing still, but that they suddenly had
the power to say more in a look than in all their words.

i willed my feet to move, even as i struggled against invisible bonds. this isn’t how
the scene was written, all the dialog wooden and simplistic. and let’s face it. the last
thing her words echoed of was insincerity. i was suddenly aware of eyes on me. looking
around in this crowded room, i wondered.

i realized i hadnt spoken, hadn’t moved. had i blinked? was i as dumbfounded as i was
afraid i appeared? talk about wooden and simplistic.

why was it, after all these years, no one affected me the way she did.