| Gingerly, I reached out and touched the knob... and it turned. |
| The door wasn't locked anymore. |
| It swung open to a room that was silent, desolate. |
| I would rather have heard her "go away" than that. |
|
| The empty bottles are gone now. |
| The clothes are no longer piled in a corner. |
| The cluttered shelf lies bare- |
| like it did when she wasn't yet here. |
|
| The people at the alcohol store didn't recognize me. |
| They didn't remember my girlfriend. |
| How could that be? |
|
| The sidewalk's cockroach corner was devoid of cockroaches. |
| It was like they knew the joke was over. |
|
| At home, I drink the Evian bottles- |
| even though I don't like them. |
| Just because they're there. |
| Just because they remind me of her. |
|
| Her blanket isn't here anymore. |
| The stubble on her legs isn't here anymore. |
| Her smile isn't here anymore... |
| I miss it. |
|
| I love her. |
| I miss her. |
Copyright ©2002 Ashi Shadow (08/20/02, On Heather after she left Maryland.)