The Widower

You do not remember this,
But I stood over your bed
Reading poetry as if the
Words on the faded page could
Outdo all we had been through,
The life we had shared over so
Many years, clawing earth together
As if that grip meant something,
As if we'd arrive somewhere
Someday, me taking off my hat
As you smiled and curtsied to
Something stronger and higher
Than either of us but tonight
All that matters is how, when
I reach for you, that spot is
Devoid of heat, and only
My own sweat soaked pillow
Rising up to meet my lips
When I try to kiss you
Across space across time
Across town, your grave simply
One among many, something for
Lawnmowers to dodge while they
Hum loudly to the open sky,
So much louder than poetry.