She wades in it.
Sometimes she slowly
descends, like sweat
down her brow;
like lips to a frown
but she battles it.

She bathes in it-
a smile as she practices
a pleasant look in the mirror;
widens her eyes, breathes
softly in then out,
in then out
though he no longer breathes.

In the dark of her heart
she screams, claws, begs
for him but only she
can feel the
beat   beat   beat
inside her bones.

She clings to it,
cradles it like a sleeping
child that will soon
wake, and wail
and wail...