Cat Lady at Midnight (revised)

small insignificant things

still require explanation - 

random heart pain, for instance

in time with the tides  

love went off to live in another land according to his destiny

a loss that left me stranded 

alone with my black dress

his empty bowl

like a wraith in my own home,

I’d pace through rooms

until one October evening

sleep would not come

so I drove myself to the hospital

at midnight

a nurse greeted me

with ghostly sheet, 

warm and silky as buttered toast 

I was left alone to ponder

why I had never thought to amaze myself with this calming cure 

a handsome attending entered the room 

dispelled the bright sterility 

set the scene for a story 

about his golden lab who had 

crossed over

like my boy had

the doctor and his daughter 

kindled a fire, keened, laid flowers, 

buried their love

~~~

as for me?

there was no heart attack, 

of course 

I returned home, 

crawled back into my bed 

leaned into the scent 

of animals who remained, 

fell softly into sleep

with the rest of the living