Affliction Poem by Lydia Thacker

Why can't I let go?
My memories of you haunt me.
In my dreams I hear your laughter,
feel your long hair in my hands,
know the familiar weight of your arm around me
as we giggle over something silly
which amuses only us.

They say pain fades with time,
but, after two years,
mine merely ages.
The pain of your going is sharp
and leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

There is never a fading of pain;
we simply become accustomed
to the taste of anguish.