Poetry 365

there is a hunger
     often associated with pain
     that you feel
     when you look at someone
     you used to love and enjoyed
     loving and want
     to love again
     though you know you can’t
that gnaws at you
     steadily as a mosquito
     some michigan summer
     churning his wings
     through your window screen
because the real world
     made up of baby clothes           to be washed
     food           to be cooked
     lullabies           to be sung
     smiles           to be glowed
     hair           to be plaited
     ribbons           to be bowed
     coffee           to be drunk
     books           to be read
     tears           to be cried
     loneliness           to be borne
says you are a strong woman
     and anyway he never thought you’d really miss him