round red leaves litter the pavement
pennies scattered from threadbare pockets
someone disappeared
and took their words with them
i thought to look because another
returned after a long hiatus
but the ghost
is a mist taken by dry winds
why dwell on another’s choices
why feel the sinking in the chest
the pit of the stomach
why ache for someone i read
but did not know
tomorrow i will look at leaves
and see pennies again
and count their value in more
than copper
Words and Feathers 
“someone disappeared
and took their words with them”–
now that’s an image that will stay with me. (K)
😢
Sometimes I think about those absences and wonder what I’m missing.
For myself, I seem to get a lot of inspiration from the words of others, lately. If I were to be absent, I don’t know how many words there would be to miss.
I know what you mean. I feel worse about not noticing earlier…
‘Why ache for someone I read but did not know’….you notice, consider scenarios…but what can you do…I like your leaves/pennies… in Canada our pennies are out of circulation…pennies no more.
count their value in more
than copper
Oh, definitely!
😀