Fidelity.... Poem by RIC BASTASA

When love is gone
as it usually happens, when the house
empties itself
throws away all the furniture and beds
and sets aside
cups of coffee and
chocolate cookies,

When everything becomes a question,
we are no longer interested
in some answers,

We go on doing that things
we do
like ants on a trail
like birds building nests and depositing eggs
and hatching them
on pure instincts,

We do simply because we have to do
them,
we go on, and on and on,
nothing leaps from our chests,
the heart still beats but not for the joys of love
but only for
stability, somehow, the house is still this house,
let the home go berserk somewhere
we still keep the beams strong
and the stairs serviceable
for our comings and goings
We choose no departures
We pledge to stay: for bitter or worse
even death
till the next life, we must comply.