In the beginning
You kept me company
All the time.
In my morning coffee
and the soap I showered with,
The napkin that touched my lips,
And the Apricot Jam on my toast.
Your scarf kept my neck warm
On winter days.
Slowly, inexorably,
You drifted away,
Or maybe I did.
For awhile I floated
In liquid darkness,
Heavy, odorless,
Deaf and indifferent.
Where I could
Neither swim nor sink
Breathe or suffocate.
Now, after a time
Some tears have dried,
Others not yet come.
Children grown and far away
In time and space.
Returning occasionally
Only as a remainder
That they are gone.
Dreams swept away
By uncaring years.
Suddenly I can again
Smell you hair,
And feel your skin
On my thirsty hands.