Phantom Ache

It happened again
Today
The merest thought of
You
Streaming through
My consciousness
Just for a second

A glimpse
A scent
A question
Always unanswered

What might have been

Sharp stab
Bright
Fleeting
Gone in a second
Not even time
To stop it
Guard myself against it
Recognize it
No denying it

And even though
My love for him is so great
And I don't miss you
Anymore
From time to time
Just for a second

I still feel the ache
Like a limb long-sawn
Still
Twitching with grief
And the longing
For you