The ones that leave us first,
Their uneven ground we ever tread.
Stumbling after each of them,
Wading through their wake.
But God forbid we take their path,
And fall hard upon such wasted life.
Fumbling for their left behinds,
Drowning in the same mistakes.

Tom Lefort - May 2023

gone now the
laundry basket by the
multi-color tiled bathroom half-
empty been a week now
been trying to fill it now
been trying to
not feel
empty gone

now the
cartons of milk he's allergic
to anyway,
in the fridge at the
bottom being replaced and being
tossed and
tossed again.

gone now he still
winces at the freshly laundered
sheets now
lemon-scented
lemon-scented you
but you are gone now.

---

who is going to
pester him for more tuna
more vegetables who is
going to tell him not
to water the cacti you
planted in chipped tea
cups who is going to
walk the dogs he gave away
not long ago because
no one has the love and
patience to do it anymore.

who is going to love
the lemon-scent the
scent you loved
just because of a poem
about it or a story who
knows...
who knows now
what you want
where you are how you've been...

who's gonna tell him
now not to
take the pills after
you bitter-sweet
lemon-scented good
bye.

I haven’t done everything I wished to do with you,
I never truly told you how you fill my heart so full,
I never took the time to give you everything you want,
But you died,
Now everything is wrong and nothing's right,
You died,
I’m confused I cannot think it’s hard to breath,
You died,
I know I hear the words but they’re not real,
You died,
Your everything I'm nothing without you,,
You died,
I wish i died too..


wM

Silence
like morning fog
over a late sunrise.
Like a discarded novel
beside half finished tea
and cold buttered toast.
Like a last breath,
a released hand,
and my unfinished prayer
beside dad's bed.

Where was i dear friend when they took you?
Where was i? Where was i?
Where was i when they sounded the trumpet?
Where was i? Where was i?

How did they conquer you?
How did they? How did they?
How did they rise again?
How did they? How did they?

I sent them to the abyss?
Yes i did.
I locked them up in hades?
Thought i did.

Do not let them take you far,
Trace the sound of my cry.
Do not trust a thing they say,
Return next to me and lie.

We will watch the stars again,
We will, we will.
We will draw faces from the moon,
We will, we will.

How much have they asked to ransom you?
Tell me, tell me.
I will do all i can to get it through?
Certainly, certainly.

Beneath the stars i lie alone,
In the valley of sorrow;
So much pain within my bone,
You are nowhere to fill this hollow.

Is there a place where you will be waiting,
For me to come set you free?
Or should i just sit here and wait,
For you to come to me?

I will cry no more but sing songs of the victor,
Maybe shall your captives faint at the sound.
Or maybe the shackles on your limbs be broken,
And in the vision of my eyes shall you be found

I will hold on to the memories of our past,
I will, yes i will.
May your face and the laughter not fade fast,
Be still, yes be still.