I watch through sliding glass doors
she sits in the yard
with clouds unrelenting
a chill pushed by a strong breeze
storm foreboding
darkness works its way closer
yet
she reads
I had hoped against odds
to find her here
inside
a smile waiting before I leave
a kiss to linger in the hours apart
our lives
our love
slip silent into these empty moments
of realization
fade deeper
and closer
to a time when I will stare
upon an empty yard