Day 230: If I Missed You

If I Missed You
by
Matt Zurbo

If I missed you it would be a horrible thing.
(Kid, pining, looking at something off of page.)

If I missed you, I’d look for your reflection.
(In the moon.)

(Pond.)

(Glassy ocean.)

(Water barrel.)

I’d look for your reflection, just to kid myself you might be near.
(Old school barber’s window)

If I missed you, I’d look in all the places we did things.
(Kid walking alone, kicking at a rock on the old, abandoned railway track.)

(Skimming rocks under the bridge.)

(Dancing outside the record store.)

(Lazing at the skate park.)

(Running around the understory of a giant old tree.)

(Fishing under the stars.)

That way, even if I didn’t find you, I’d be reminded of the fun we had.
(Looking through an old school milk bar, mimicking the people passing.)

If I missed you, I’d imagine all the things we did that could be done anywhere.
(Going to a carnival.)

(Watching cloud dragons in sunsets.)

(Racing matchbox boats.)

(Playing under sprinklers.)

(Pretending they were monsters.)

(One of them dressed like a unicorn.)

That way, if I imagined the things we did that could be done anywhere, I’d feel less lonely imagining you doing them somewhere now.
(Kid on own, looking at kids playing at the beach.)

If I missed you, I’d imagine all the crazy things you used to imagine.
(An owl and emu using a wooden box as a rowboat, to sail to the stars.)

(A scooter with 52 wheels and mirrors to deliver pizzas.)

I’d imagine these things, just so I could see you imagining more things like this wherever you are.
(A guitar that would help flowers grow like vines.)

If I missed you and you returned from where you were,
or even visited,
(Two kids, in streaks of dusk sunlight, running towards each other open-armed.)
I’d make sure we had the best times!

Did the most amazing things!
Imagined the most wondrous tales!
Just so we could have a reason to laugh together again.
(Both of them laughing themselves silly, one pointing at a small toy robot they have put a daisy in the robot ear of.)

And excuses to give off the best sighs.
(Heads leaning into each other, content smiles.)

That way, if either of us ever left again, I’d have stocked enough memories to last a long time.
(One kid waving the other, who is distant, good-bye.)

 
The End.