Ajar

How long you’ve been gone.
Your shadow’s broken vows
Swept aside as I
Played house.

I planted wildflowers in pairs
In the earth by the gate
I trimmed the little table
With a bit of found lace.

I opened the windows
To air out my rooms,
And met gentle breezes
And cheery bird tunes.

You stayed gone.
This trip longer than last,
I grew more brazen
In my care-taking tasks.

I repainted a room.
I heard what you might say
Chattering as though
You had not gone away,

But the color was bright
And covered the stains
That announced you were here
While they remained

I painted over
The great obscenity.
I settled into your absence
Like a deep anonymity.

A jarring sound,
The familiar crack
Of door to frame
Of fist to back

A blacksmith pounding
On my mettle
While I observe
Faded paint and fallen petals.