lives alone in an
always shuttered house
wifeless and alone enough
I bet he dines with death
naps and sleeps with it
does laundry and
pay bills for
the both of them
as if they’ve become
a newly married couple
hand in hand on the
sofa watching TV
two glasses of wine
tilt and swallowed with smiles
‘til one tires and
turns to the other
time for bed
lights out
he can’t sleep
that appointment
the day after tomorrow
he starts to talk about
but his spouse is silent
turned away
dead to the world