Extended Stay

Even if you go
there will always be an open door waiting for you
that leads into a room with roses on the table.
The person who I am when I’m with you
will be dashing from corner to corner
straightening books on the shelf
washing the dishes
or when it’s all done
sitting at the table
with pen and paper
seeing if what he feels is a poem.

I won’t be him
as I walk back into a world without you
slipping out the side door
but I’ll feel him there:
a weight in my pocket
or a catch in my breath
made of hope tied into a knot.

And every passing shadow
every rustle of leaves
will give him life
as he waits and wonders
when you’ll be back
never if
just when

May 2017