Absent

Thermodynamics 

tells us
that there is 

no such thing
as cold. 

It
is a construct- 

it is merely an 

absence
of heat 

that leaves us
breathless 

and shaking.

Physics 

teaches us
that there is 

no such thing
as dark. 

Dark, too,
is an abstract- 

it is merely an 

absence
of light 

that leaves us
floundering 

and unsure. 

And maybe it is true 

of other things, too: 

misery, 

for example, 

is the
absence of joy, 

fear is the 

absence of certainty, 

and loneliness 

doesn’t exist, 

except as the 

absence
of you.