When you live alone
Even laying a fart
Isn't really funny.

-Anonymous 1600s senryu (Japanese comic verse)

There are things you may not expect to miss.

The swish of her hand brushing along the plasterboard

The heavy air of the bathroom after his shower

The warmth left in the bed as she gets dressed

The drift of coffee upon the air down the hallway

The rumble and rush of her hair against the brush, echoing

The silence in the car as he walks away, waving

The creak of a chair as she adjusts herself

The crackle of stubble as he scratches his chin

The smell of onion and garlic when you come through the door

The salt and oil of his torso in worn clothes

The stale wine in the bottom of a glass

The buzz of a message against your thigh

The hairs upon the counter, amber when held against the sun

The subdued spray of water in the sink through the wall

The groan of her leather jacket in the cold air

The clink of his belt opening, then closing

Her body and stale perfume imbued in the pillow - indescribable

His footsteps outside the door, manoeuvring at the gate - inimitable

Exhalation

Movement

A voice

A presence

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