He started in the far
Reaches of the basement
Most distant from her sick bed.
He stayed down there fixing doors
Examining his father’s old tools
Staring at closets to empty.
He didn’t come upstairs until
Weeks after the burial.
I started with
Her chest of drawers
Her shirts and sweaters
Her comb and brush
Her favorite nightgown
The last book she read
Still on her nightstand.
I took out the bookmark
Put it in my book
Placed it on my nightstand
Next to the ticking clock.
Eileen Curran-Kondrad is adjunct faculty in the English department at Plymouth State University. She has previously published work in Centripetal, New Hampshire Business and Upbeat.
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