Leaning on the counter

Waiting for the day to roll on by

Somebody walks up

I start my normal spiel

“Hello, did you find everything okay?”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

“Hey I like your tattoo”

“What does it mean?”

I smirk for a split second

Then the emotion floods over me

My smirk fades

“It’s a tattoo for my…. “

I pause

What should I say without sounding stupid?

“Friend”

I stutter out

“It’s the symbol from a show we both love”

“Cool”

They smile at me

“Thanks have a good one”

“Yeah you too”

They walk out

All I can think to myself is

How stupid of me

To ever get this

Forever scorched on my body

Even though he’s

Gone

At least it feels like he is

Almost as if he’s buried in the dirt

But no

He’s just walking this planet

Without me

I trace over it with my fingers

God I miss him