He reaches for the other pillow
but finds no head resting there
looking pretty
ready to kiss
and he feels bad.

She awakens from dreams of him
but there are no arms
reaching out for her
just the rumpled sheets
that witness only sleep.

Each heart breaks sometimes
remembering the precious few moments
when they could embrace
like normal people
and they cry.

And they both keep weeping
feeling so sad and heavy
with anger at the situation
at the other
for not trying harder
to be there.

He ruminates about how
she never does talk about
where she wants to put her piano
and she complains to herself
because he no longer counts
the days until their next encounter
and has so little to say
on the phone.

Each one is obsessed
with worrying about the other
and neither takes
the time to wonder
if the distant partner
also feels the sting
of the empty pillow.