Gone Poem by Susan Vannatta

The air around me
is thickening, making it
harder to breathe.
My lungs work to
find my oxygen, but
you’re no longer there. The
words you left still
swim inside of my mind
as I try to put them in
the right order, to make
some sense of why you’re missing.
My eyes itch and
burn, filling with moisture.
Letters and words start to
add themselves together in
my head, and then the sound of
your voice floods my ears.
“I’m leaving you.” The voice is
dripping with mock and
my heart stops at the sound.
I understand, and it
steals the breath from my chest.
I’m at my knees gasping, and
trying to find the word.
It’s stuck in my throat,
making me gag. I choke and
spit it up. It tastes of
sorrow and loneliness.
It falls off my lips…
“Gone.”