Things That Will Happen When You Suddenly Live Alone

1. You will make too much coffee. 

The pot that once held 

too little for you both 

will be almost full 

as it stares back at you, 

black and cold. 

You will try to reheat it, 

coax warmth into your cup, 

into your smile, 

into your heart...

you will fail. 

2. The bed will suddenly feel taller, 

like you are balancing 

pillows on tight rope, 

like the crowd is waiting 

for you to fall- 

you must not fall- 

—-you will fall. 

Sleep will hide from you 

until you allow yourself 

to stop looking.  

Get up, 

drink the cold coffee, 

read a book. 

You will fall asleep 

in the chair that is meant 

to hold one. 

3. You will stop eating. 

Dinner time 

will lose it’s magic, 

and the dishes 

will not be clean 

the next time you look 

in the cupboards. 

Tomatoes will rot and 

oranges will grow hard, 

because there are not 

enough mouths to fill 

with good things. 

You cannot fill yourself 

with good things, 

so you will stop trying 

altogether.

4. People will ask how you are. 

You will paint a smile 

on your aching face, 

will chirp “fine” 

will lie, “great” 

will say “hanging in there,” 

will stain the darkest night 

a sunny yellow 

and pretend that 

you are not broken. 

You will forbid yourself to cry...
You will cry. 

5. You will leak 

all of your sorrow 

onto your pillow, 

your sleeve, 

your son’s favorite stuffed bear. 

Your head will fog 

with unshed precipitation, 

and your voice will grow 

deep and rough, 

until you do not recognize it.
You will stop talking
altogether.
Words
take too much effort
and there is no one
to hear you anyway 

6. You will survive. 

You will not know how 

it happens, 

or when, 

but some morning, 

you will drink 

all the coffee. 

You will bake more bread. 

You will sleep. 

You will smile.
You will sing.

You’ll survive.