the scream

i missed you quietly today
without disturbing
the birds with a wail
or the table with a deep sigh
and the heavy fold of my arms

i missed you noiselessly
no one even knew
i said hi to some on the street
they smiled back
so did i

i missed you today
without a word
or a single sound
but i’ll admit that sometimes
there in the private pulse
or in the soft sunlight
or in the way my left foot still drags a little
after that one hike that one time
i wanted to yell

but there, too,
i missed my chance