It all went south.
The caring, the work it took
to care.
I had so much energy
and I toiled,
awoke early,
tried to accept a bad taste
here and there,
longing,
desire,
failure to satisfy
the meaningless sides
of it all.

I could not sustain
the chores,
my heart was too
open, unguarded.
When she left I knew
nothing would ever be
the same. But when I
saw your smile,
no matter how you hid
your pain,
I knew I could make it
without her,
without
direction.