She walked into the river
submerged her rattled mind
in the cold sweep of the current
I read the note she left you
collision of gratitude and ache
her madness clawing at her skull
from the inside
she dug her pen into the paper
just long enough
to write of love
you must have known
when you saw it
carefully placed on the desk
in the empty house
wanted to turn back out the door
steal your way back into the moment
when you didn’t know
but you fell in love again
life after death
she was married
but she was yours on weekdays
maybe it was more special that way
or maybe you wanted weekends with Virginia
to make her tea
and talk about everything
just as it was.