six feet

i never missed the absence of space
until it was gone
or the comfort of touch —
the minute connection
of a hand on a shoulder
the soul-warming crush
of a hearty hug
i never knew this absence
as a deprivation
but sometimes longed
amid relentless overstimulation
to be alone —
just alone, just for a while
with no outside voices to crowd
my imagination
who knew six feet
could seem so far?