It’s nearly dark and the moon’s unrisen.
The brightest stars shine through a scrim
of clouds and fog. I am watching for you.
Most of the neighbors have gone inside
for dinner and television and rest, but
I’m not hungry and I’m not tired.
I stand on the porch, trying to fathom
what my world will be without you in it.
You’re only hours gone and already,
I can barely imagine your laugh,
the way you could turn the darkest day
into something worth surviving.
I strive to see your shape in the trees,
to hear your voice in this quiet dim,
but the dark is the dark and the stars,
only stars, and you are nowhere in them.
William Reichard is a writer, editor, and educator. His ninth poetry collection, Karner Blue, was just published by Brighthorse Editions.