Category: after
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Happy Anniversary?
“How will you celebrate your divorce anniversary?” Someone asked in a divorce Facebook group. It made me pause. I guess that would depend. Like, which date do you celebrate? Is it today – the date the paperwork was filed? Or maybe it’s in a couple weeks, the day I got the copies of the filed…
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Just me
You’re missing the part where the kids are all old-er Away. Working. Hanging Out. You’re missing the part when you don’t need a babysitterWhen there are hours of a quiet house Hours. Did we talk about this part?Did we dream of it?Or was that just me? I shouldn’t write when I am sadWhen we’ve texted…
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A Different Timeline
There’s a children’s book titled with the two main characters’ names. It’s a cute book, actually. It’s just that the characters’ names are what you called me and you. For decades. So, healing is weird. I’m fine, and then I look up an author’s name to get ready for an event and… There we are.…
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accidental thoughts
One of the best humans I know said, “It would be okay and reasonable to miss his penis.” But I don’t think I domiss your penisI meanwhat’s there to miss? I did accidentally start thinking about you it happens sometimes,in my quiet commuteI’m driving and then BAM! I’m thinking about how you told me your…
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Are you Paying Attention?
There was a songthat came onevery time I was halfway home from visiting mydying friendin the summer of 2020 I was already crying but then The chicksSangcalm downyou know he’s about to leavebut don’t panicAnd I would sob as I pulled up to the stop signturning lefton a street I had lived on until I…
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Happy New Year
Today as I was pulling into the grocery parking lot I thought suddenly about you And all the Betrayal For just a moment At first I thought maybe you should Burn in hell And then I wondered Do I really want that? How could I want someone I loved for decades to burn in hell?…
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Holiday Greetings
Do they make a greeting card that accurately articulatesthe way to say what you want to say after helping Santaafter walking up and down the steps, carrying gifts filling stockingscleaning up the Christmas evidencesitting on the couch in the lights of the Chirstmas treealone with your hot chocolate thinking about how even when there was…
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Quiet Math
It’s quiet herethere used to be you, me, three kids, two cats, a dogthat’s eighteight you leftseven our daughter went to collegesix we got a new kittenseven our 6 year-old cat diedsix you texted our daughter “Theodore is dead.” thank goodness I had already called her our newest kitten diedfiveyou didn’t know himyou never knew…
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Lawyer’s Office
Remember when we met at your divorce lawyer’s officeand your lawyer came out and invited us in by sayingjovially”Okay! Mr. And Mrs.!” like it was our first public appearance after marriage That was weird. But also there was that time before we headed in to his office when it felt so weirdto be becoming strangersI…
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Of course
Of course I miss The crook of an armThe shared historyThe laughterThe sex But alsowho the fuck am I supposed to askto look into my eyeand tell meIs that an eyelash?Or a scratch? Who is going to drive me to my nextcolonoscopy and wait to hear from the doctorwhile I wake upthen drive me homechattering…