First Night Alone Poem by Bill Galvin

First Night Alone

Which seat do I sit in? Where do I sit now?
All guests have left to continue their lives
After celebrating your life and kissing you goodbye;
And the house is empty.

The loveseat is where I sat next to you for so many years
As we shared our favorite TV shows;
Then, after the intruder ALS barged in,
It is where I sat close so I could help your discomfort
And feed you (remember I became left-handed?) .

The sofa faced you and was where I could use the laptop,
But still be close enough to help you;
And it gave us a little separation in time and space.
It's where I did most of my writing and web creation
After you were tucked into your bed at night.

The single leather recliner was always "my" chair,
But was rarely used when we got the loveseat,
And never used after the ALS intrusion.

I'm told it takes a while to find oneself;
To develop the single, un-partnered personality.
But this seems so simple, so basic, an issue…
Disappointing.

We were together in one form or another
For 40 years;
And became teammates in an intense struggle
For the last 2 years.

This just goes to show you…
It'll be so difficult finding out who I am
Without you.

I hope you help me from Up There…
Because right now I don't like being this guy.


2-21-2015