I've known of missing poems before br poems stronger than the suppressing hand br poems more powerful than the invisibility br br poems that speak from the realm of the soul br from the place that needs no facade br the place unpalpable where the poem touches br br a father's unrenderable gaze br br absent from the family photograph br frozen in clenched smile abstraction br hovering somewhere near the unfathomable br br a hole where a heart once lay br br cached between bone and muscle br a conduit for that which makes life livable br its beat but an echo its rhythm but a spasm of memory br br hurt where a friendship once was br br its demise never anticipated br its loss never contemplated br it measure infinite br br space where a leg ought be br br the missing limb but bits of flesh femur blood br soft shrapnel on a once abandoned war ground br the mined soil holding secret its maiming terror br br nothing where something ought be br br it is said that to which the missing was adjoined br the left behind br mourns its disattached br one sees the shining knee - br the favored other br br there is emptiness longing br grief is spoken br and desirebr br Sojourner Kincaid Rollebr br