And You Weren’t There Poem by Louise Tredoux

I looked at the sun
you weren’t there
I looked at the dunes
you weren’t there
I cut up the meat
made sausages
you weren’t there
I churned the cream
you weren’t there
I talked with family
who didn’t care
that I was there
I baked millions of cookies
Made several dresses
for my niece’s doll
you weren’t there
I took long walks
alone in the veld
you weren’t there
and nobody cared
I sought everywhere
for a trace of you
a sign to indicate
your love was true
stuck on my uncle’s farm
you weren’t there
stuck in hell
I couldn’t find
any sign
that you still cared
I dared not think
dared not breathe
fearing to find
you never existed
you had been
a figment of my
imagination
finally it did seem
you had never been
part of my life
and I died
with empty heart
empty eyes
empty ears
unshed tears
in loneliness
she had expired
because of a dream
there had never been
someone at all

and you weren’t there