Where John Went

John disappeared on Thursday

He up and left

Straight vanished, flew the coop

Here a breath, then gone the next

Without a care – no reason why

Just poof

Adieu, farewell, goodbye

/

John got coffee every day – not Thursday

William at the counter didn't mind

Thought for a second:

“Guess he's sick – that regular. John. That guy.”

/

Susan at the market didn't pause, except to say

“We have that parsley in today.

That young man wanted some.

Before. Was it yesterday?”

/

John's friends all went out to dinner Friday

Didn't leave an empty chair

When the waitress came with rounds

They thought: “We'll split it just four ways

tonight. That's fair.”

/

As she cleaned that weekend,

his mother, Laura, looked around

and smiled at John's picture on the mantle

as he stared back

with his father's stubborn frown.

She dialed again

went straight to voicemail:

“call me when you can”

and swept her home

singing softly as she worked,

entirely alone.

/

John left nothing;

went utterly without a trace:

no noise, no broken glass,

no cry of anguish, no dismay.

No smell, no stain beneath the door

from drippings of his body

limply resting in decay.

John left no note, nor notice

to his neighbors; no rent as well,

although his landlord was away.

/

Where John went?

Who knows?

He's just not here today

But about a week ago

I think

I saw him in the park

Standing idly by

Beside the sidewalk

Calmly staring at the sky

[1]( https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/909te7/eager_haiku/e2pbcz8/?context=3)

[2](https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/comments/904b0m/to_deceive_the_hours_of_folly/e2pbvsn/?context=3)