Missing Pieces

By Marcella Leff

Loneliness settles deep in my soul.

Broken pieces drift apart,

twirling in a mental spiral—

fragments lost to those who leave,

each departure carving out my heart.

In loneliness, I search for someone

to fill the void.

Sometimes, it’s a love long gone—

a fleeting joy,

now echoing in the hollow.

Other times, I seek to fill the hours,

comforted by who I used to be.

Reinventing self is a steep climb;

that’s when the shadows gather,

and I long for the old me.

I give of myself, again and again.

People take that with them,

even those who wound.

Still, I offer heart and soul,

though they return as children.

Some leave holes behind,

unaware of what they’ve taken,

lacking grace or self-control.

But when I give to those who care,

That’s when my heart aches whole.

Lonely hearts feel hunger,

a need to reclaim what’s lost.

When love is taken in great numbers,

and never returned,

it becomes trust betrayed.

I’ve learned love must be given freely,

so that no one leaves a hole.

Then missing pieces don’t cut deeply.

They’re only slivers of the soul,

and not the entire soul.

I know what I gave belong there.

Sometimes, I ache for what was then.

But now, I’m more aware:

Missing someone is missing me-

a longing for who I was, again.

By Marcella Leff