You Were Here

The late afternoon sunlight
falls silently
breaking across my legs, arms,
the shallow pool beneath my heart

With broken feathers and stiff wings
I get up to shake the sheets
howling
soft as your mouth
come back, come back again.

Stone of the lungs
blood of the lip
black smoke
long cigarette

Cat at the window
scratching for the moon

Come back, come back
I promise to listen
to all of your stories
and hold them under my tongue.