Not having you
for a lover or a best friend
feels foreign
like awakening to a missing limb
under hospital lights
and the glare of
white sheets
too clean
And then I recall
how troubling that leg was
strong one day
giving out the next
stumbling
kicking
out of control
and I realize
that learning to balance
without it
is likely to prove easier
than tottering along
on it
cae 4/23/06
