If this gets back to you

People gather wherever
and they talk

about those who haven't,
about the absent

it's natural
they need to check themselves
"is this person crazy? or is it
me" no, yes

we've all been there
we all can agree, share stories,
commiserate and ridicule

the absent. It's cruel
and useless, to call

it cruel. It's just what
people do, everywhere - including
you. Meanwhile, you,

excluded, left out - know nothing

of what's being said. In confidence,
between some people, friends
of yours, or some of them - behind your back
until one friend

rushes, out of breath
straight

to tell you
before memory makes it
too much worse -

that one real friend,
I guess. How true. Tell them everything bad

about everyone else,
who isn't there now,

until it hurts