Echo
by Brian Berlin
Copyright © 2026 Brian Berlin. All rights reserved.
I paused to note the echo in her room
An echo like I hadn’t heard before
And lingering, some powder-light perfume
I paused a beat then gently closed the door
Through summer days we laughed and played for hours
Those stories told through winter nights on end
We stayed so brave through countless thundershowers
And took tea with imaginary friends
The furniture—all gone, the walls stand bare
Few traces of the child whose room it was
The echo echoes out, there’s no one here
Reverberating in my heart, this loss
Our home is sold; the moving van awaits
Yet something lingers as I turn away