By Jennifer Rutherford
Date: 21 May 1998

Missing

Today I saw a man who looked like you
not enough, but quite close
I found myself stealing glances
when he hopefully wasn't looking:

looking for the ski-jump in your nose
 that was almost there
the fullness in your lower lip
the missing dimples when you smile
the largeness of your grin
 as his was slightly too small,
 though the flash of teeth almost misled me
the slight cleft in your chin

the thickness in your eyebrows
the paleness in your eyes- both missing
though the scooping shadows under your eyes
 were still there;
 the wariness in your eyes
and the stroking of your throat both similar, but:
the hair too short, the sideburns too long,
the frame of the body slightly too small

almost glimpses in your face
looked so much like you
not you- but close enough,
when I can no longer look at
 the real thing.