Thirteen Ways to Miss Someone

By folding their name into every sentence

you don't say aloud.

By setting the table for one,

but glancing at the empty chair anyway.

By walking past their favorite song

like it’s a ghost in the hallway.

In dreams,

where they never say goodbye.

By remembering

the sound of their laugh,

but forgetting their voice.

By finding their old sweater

and wearing it in July.

By avoiding the places they loved

until one day,

you can’t anymore.

By scrolling too far

and seeing their name.

By answering a question

as if they're still listening.

By noticing

how the world keeps moving

without asking if you're okay.

By holding onto silence

like it’s the only thing left

that belongs to them.

By telling new people

that you once knew someone

who made you feel

more alive than you deserved.

By writing this,

and still hoping

they might read it.