the visit after your departure

on gentle grass she lays,
black dress engulfing her in darkness.
hands limp,
outstretched,
palms towards the sky,
she waits.

atop the hill she lays.
away from glass path,
residue of the past washed away,
petrichor emanates from
damp, yellowing grass.
warmth of the sun caresses
gray in her skin,
warmth of the sun spreads within.

a breeze passes,
the daisies sway
and outlined by sunlight glow,
the girl no longer covered in ashes.

blue and green of horizon bleeds,
and clouds turn to fog.
the girl now encompassed in memory.

two cups of swiss miss hot cocoa
overflow, overflow
him dressed as santa,
mistletoe, outside snow.
fire pops and sparks and cracks and laughs.
his smile is weak,
he’ll be gone in a week.

but his presence returned
and glass path now left in the past,
warmth of the sun caresses
gray in her skin,
warmth of the sun spreads within.

in his elysian embrace she lays,
a chill goes down her spine. she shivers in familiar warmth.