Your devotion visible
In simple gestures made
A milk-shake pureed,
Thick, cold and frothing,
Abounding with banana, cinnamon and nutmeg
A cup of tea, sweetly-tasting,
Milk and sugar in equal measures
From the bag, I cannot steep
The tannic juices nor find
The right blend the way that you could
Your love you poured into the cup
Ailing with fever, cool, minted compresses
For my head, hot broth spooned from your hand,
Shivering, you warmed the afghan in the dryer,
You held me cozy in its warmth
Never will I heal so quick, so well
Without the vigilance of your care
I keep the gifts you gave
In a curio cabinet, the tokens of your love,
A white bear with red bow for Valentine’s Day,
St. Patrick’s Day, a gold Celtic cross,
A crystal angel figurine
A keep-sake box stenciled with
A pink porcelain rose
So mindful in your choices
To find what I wished for the most
These treasures I cherish lieu of you
Longing for a presence, tactile,
Deep, languorous hugs
Your voice, soft-spoken
Reassurance
In your fawn-brown eyes
Comfort in your returning gaze
Condolences say you abide with me
In spirit, it is not enough
I pine for the sensation of you again
I am changed by sorrow
Bereft with loss
Ease, expectation, solace,
Feeling a connection in my soul
The secret language that we shared
I will never know these as once I did
I still sleep on the bed’s right side
The left side was always yours
I leave a space for you there
I reach out at night hoping to feel you
Lying still, jaw slackened, shoulders at ease,
Fluttering eyes in pleasant dreams
Yet, you are gone beyond my touch