Slowly I awaken and reach for you
Finding only the pillow you left behind.
Pulling it close I take in a breathe
And smell the scent that is uniquely your kind.

Dreamily I remember the night before
And snuggle the pillow closer to my heart.
The love we share is something rare.
It has grown from the very start.

I close my eyes and dream of you
Gone out into the world.
While I laze about in our bed alone
And wait for you to come home.

Some would say that you spoil me,
But they don’t know all of our tale.
The years we have spent together
Struggling, we weathered each gale.

Now is our time to enjoy one another,
To laugh and love and to play.
Our job as parents is done and now
We act like young lovers every day.

Our dues have been paid
Our hard times are over and done.
I wait in our bed for you, sleepy and sated,
I wait for you. Come, let’s be one.

There is a hint in the sunlight,
It is not as harsh as it was a few weeks ago.
Now it seems kinder, softer, and not as bright.

You can taste it in the air.
Warm, lazy days are still here,
But at night, just a taste of coolness is there.

Green leaves and grass still flourish on trees and ground.
Every now and then a soft breeze blows and you can see
Yellow and gold, hidden yet, but ready to astound.

School bells ring and children rush to learn.
Warm days and cooling nights bring a smile.
My favorite time of year; Autumn is on the return.

Gray skies, gray slush,
Cold gray day outside.
Wraps me in a gray cocoon of pain
Wishing it would all go away.

Feeling like the eye of a thunderstorm
Chilly to the bone
Waiting to get warm
Counting the seconds between the lightning strikes of pain.

If it were possible to be in the flames, I would be,
Still the chill clings because it comes from within.
Bones ache and muscles scream,
No one hears but me.

Tears seem to find their way down my face
I am not aware I am crying.
The pain and loneliness just squeeze them out of me
Like an overly wrung sponge

If I mention it to you
There is always that silent eye roll and sigh
Before the question, “Can I get you anything?”
Just some of your time, only time.

There is nothing you can do
But a warm, gentle hug would sure feel nice.
But in my gray world, it is asking too much
To feel warm arms around me.

Retreat is sounded in my head
Nowhere to go but back to my bed.
There I won’t be seen as a constant reminder.
Of whom I’ve become; this cold, gray cocoon of pain.

She awakens to an empty room
Alone.  He left hours ago.
Her children grown with lives of their own
Her days spent alone.
Young enough to still be able to work,
But that choice taken from her.
Friends promises to stay in touch
Fallen by the wayside.
She understands but feels so alone.
He comes home late in the evening
Makes a half hearted effort at conversation
Then takes out his phone.
She is still alone.
She lays next to him in their bed, listening to him sleep
Crying silent tears and has never felt lonelier in her life.

I see the moon rise in your eyes,
Your fingers, fire on my skin.
My breathing echoes your soft sighs:
You are my addiction.

We move from this world to our own,
where it’s just you and me.
Our souls entwined, we are alone:
You are my fantasy.

With skills honed over years of loving,
you take me to ecstasy.
This sensual dance is only for two:
You are my destiny.

I see only you and the love in your heart.
My soul slips back into me so fast.
I feel the pleasures that you bring:
And know you were my past.

My Husband, my Lover, my Darling, my Heart.
The years flow and together form a picture.
Our loving, our lives, our bodies, and minds.
Together;  You are my future.