That Sound Again

The party was loud, a blur of faces.

Then I saw them, across the room,

your head thrown back, just like it used to be.

That laugh.

It was the same sound, exactly.

Uninhibited, a sudden burst

that used to make me smile,

make me feel like I’d done something right.

But it wasn’t for me this time.

Your hand rested on their arm,

an easy, familiar weight.

And the tilt of your head,

that particular angle of joy,

was all directed at them.

It was the clearest, sharpest thing

in the whole room.

And the sound,

that goddamn sound,

hung in the air,

for everyone else to share.