Old Guitar

I plucked your aging guitar
the rhythm was still the same,
sad

it was the song I requested you to play
for my
20th birthday

I continued plucking,
eyes closed, fingers moving
to and fro the string

i stopped before the last stanza ended
the rhythm was incomplete
a note was lacking

there was your old guitar
there was the song I forgot
to sing on your 20th birthday

I should have sang the song
in your presence
with tears, flowers and cakes.