Alone on the Night Shift

Remember back—before the autumn’s cold—

The sultriness we shared. And when I told

You of my amaranthine love you bloomed

And, Chloris-like, you bared your whorl of plumed,

Unfurling petals. Lying cheek-to-cheek

We planned our wedding that one final week

Before you left for Washington. And how

We traded kisses… oh, my love! But now…

No more to taste the mornings on your lips,

To welcome sleep, becalmed by your embrace;

No more to feel your arms around my hips,

To hold you close, transcending time and space.

These lonely, restless nights—I feel they’re sort

Of lost in hibernation. I can’t quit

Lamenting that the summer was too short

And that the isolation won’t remit,

I count the days to be with you once more—

Eleven, ten, nine, eight… They slumber through

The calendar—eight, seven, six, five, four…

And I survive by thinking thoughts of you.

Fall 2022