The neighbor next door
just lost her husband
as he lost his fight on cancer
she lost her fight for strength
she still goes for walks
and pretends he's with her
she still watches tv in their room
pretends he's disgusted with the news
I sit down on the steps
in the rain
and I think about all the days I spent
wishing I had someone to love
and I know it sounds bad
but I wish I was loved like she loved him
I want someone to miss me that bad when I'm gone
but I also wish he'd never left her
that the cancer hadn't taken that man
who fought for months
it felt like one day he was here
and the next gone.
she still gardens in the yard
and pretends he's there talking to her
she still believes he'll get better
pretends he'll come back
today I can smell the smoke of the wood stove
I hope she's finally warm.
