An Absence Felt
No sweetness remained
on gristle of tongue
to deflect death.
It came rapidly,
its respite lost in absence
like the peeling of an onion--
layers,
until only the nub
remains
most potent in its smallness.
Bereft of skin--companion and cloak
it came rapidly,
holding its affinity for life
in abeyance
an absence felt.
copyright/all rights reserved Audrey Howitt 2014