Absence

I never despised your presence, which warmed my house into a home.
I never hated your voice, which thawed my heart in a melodious tone.
I never loathed your smile, which brought light into my dark.
I never abhorred your hands, which enlightened my mind with your art.

No, I hated you for coming at all.

You brought me light and showed me how to live, then left me to die in the dark.
Only then did I grasp the lifeless silence, the cold black, the worthless mundane.
I had never understood those things before you.