Obviously,
she freaking broke me.
I’m not exaggerating.
I am not joking.

her leaving
left me grieving
and drinking
nightly
for more than
a week.

There were nights
when I couldn’t sleep
and days that would need
a little legal speed
just to get through
to get to work,
so, I could make due
and move on one
inch and millisecond
at a time.

The evenings were long
and I preferred
to be impaired
by *****
and mountain dew
chasers mixed with
apple puckers.

Of all of my depressions
that I can recall,
that one beat them all.

Even now,
eighteen years later
I still think of her.