missing – Leaf And Twig

Phantom Limb

I still see
the rope swing, the wood pecker
your tender leaf buds and glorious colors of fall

first there was something
that is now
gone

the past
watches over
us

part was missing
it made me love
what was left more

it is
the place
where love remains

behind
the missing spot
lies tomorrow

summertime visit
from dear friends
long departed

so many years
we’ve missed you
how good to see you back

Jane’s
rose arbor
in the afternoon

how can I miss the flowers
when every leaf’s in bloom
fall bouquets abound on trees

Wrinkles in the tree’s bark
will forever honor the missing branch.
Smile lines of its former reach.

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