lost and found

Poetry Oct 30, 2026

by Kiersten Baldauf

is this the last time i speak to you?
when is the last time i speak of you?
i will carry your name on the tip of my tongue
and in the exhale of my lungs.
you will never leave the confounds of my chest.
as if you are something to be taken.
you are buried in my rib cage so no taste of you is lost.
i can no longer miss you if you and i are one,
if the parts you borrowed to me cannot be returned.
the bits i’ve kept safe this long are lain to rest
at the bottom of my desk drawer
like a forgotten art,
i pull them out to dust them off and frame them,
the varnish has begun to tarnish.
i will keep your name alive -
i will keep the love you once had afloat.