I’d always thought it was you

I go through the house each day and pick up your shoes

Along with all the other things you leave behind: a half-filled coffee cup in the bathroom – plus the one from the day before – and the one from the day before that

Your coffee cup collection

And I wash your other cup – Sippy

Oh, your predilection for whiskey

You’d always bring it on our strolls

Where we’d eye the sunset and talk about our goals

The more you sipped, the prettier I’d get

And now it’s just me

So I sweep the floors

Sweep, sweep, sweep but there’s always more

Puppy fur and grit, salad leaves, and eggshells spent

All those things for me could never lose their allure

There’s still a lot of laundry somehow

This week there’s one less mouth

But groceries were still 114 dollars

Turns out it’s me! And our puppy!

At night I take off Billy’s collar

He licks it

He grabs your shirt and waddles to the bed

Last night with his big brown eyes he said, “Mama, where’s Daddy?”

I told him you’re in Vegas

He said, “Mama, what’s Vegas?”

I told him it’s a place you go to eat pizza – just for three days

“Don’t worry, pup, he’ll come back and stay”

Babe, don’t ever leave

Come home – you can have all D money

And me

I’ll do my best to make sure the house is clean

We can have a baby – and D baby

It’s only been one day

But I miss you

And I can’t wait to kiss you

Kisssss me!

I love all your quirks

The baby loves your shirts

Eat all your pizza, spend all D money

Come on home, you’ll still have me

I hope you never die

I hope you never leave