On reading Homer

Tonight I got in a cab after work,
went straight home

and read Homer at my desk.

The last flight out 

was never taken.

A window seat was not chosen.

A "just landed" text
was never sent.
No smiles were involved.

A cab outside an airport
was never hailed.
No addresses were given.

A late night doorbell 

was never rung.

No hugs were shared.

A midnight dinner
was never cooked.
No dishes were done.

Elsewhere

Someone did not discover a star.

Someone did not get groceries.

Someone did not start a war.

Someone did not visit the dentist.

Someone did not light a fire.

Seven billion worlds never came to be.

There's only one for us all,
and that's all there ever will be.