Shaking This Feeling of Loss: for Anthony Riley

I guess I am going to have to shake this feeling of sadness

I cannot bring him back

I cannot make things all better

I cannot correct the problems

Or remove the agony he felt in his heart and soul

I barely knew him

In fact, I didn't really know him at all

He was just someone whom I met

In a random twist of earthly fate

But somehow he managed

To leave an impression on me

Somehow he managed to become a part of my world

And now he is gone

And my world feels a bit emptier for the loss

If I had things to do over again

I might have done things differently

I might have tried to become something to him

To let him become something to me

Maybe it would have made a difference

And maybe not

But he is gone now

And there is no point in dwelling on what might have been

There is no point in trying to make something out of nothing at all

But it is something after all

It is a missed opportunity

And a life ended too soon

And I cannot go back and change any of it,

even though I feel as if I could have

had I only tried

which makes me feel even worse.