The Flip Side (Poetry)

You are the other side of me —
the play I never wrote
you know the hair and hide of me
and love me by remote

You touch me where life failed to touch
you fill the aching gap
and when I fail to thank you much
you give my mind a map

You whisper in my faithless ear
you stroke my lonesome breast
soothe each vain and foolish fear
encourage painless rest

You are the ghost I’ll one day be
grown older now and thin
you are the better side of me
I find that comforting