Unmarked

 My birthmark is fading-

you know the one, 

on the palm of my hand, 

planted at the root of my thumb,

the one you used to kiss.

What does this mean, 

I wonder,

that I am losing even this?

Up... Down

 I painted 

          (Up... down)

your name 

          (Up... down)

across every canvas 

          (Up... down)

I found.

          (Up... down)

You never 

          (Up...

appeared.

                    down)

Kitchen O’Keefe

Today, 

I painted 

your name 

inside my 

kitchen cupboard, 

watched you 

appear 

as quickly 

as I 

summoned you, 

and saw you 

disappear 

twice as fast. 

I covered 

my cabinets 

in your 

syllables, 

and now 

I will 

never eat alone 

again. 

This Pain

 This pain-

blinding, 

stomach aching, 

vision spotting, 

absence of breath. 

This pain- 

dark rooms and

no dinner, 

head buried, 

no end in sight. 

This pain-

so much felt 

in the body, 

as if the heart cannot 

survive the loss.