(pains And Regrets) Grieving In The Bedroom Poem by Janice Windle

I opened the wardrobe.
I thought I saw your lost shoes
hiding, abandoned,
their laces twisted,
tangled together
the way our two bodies
would tangle as we sank into sleep.

I thought that nightly melding
would hold our dread at bay
but the bed is empty now,
and when I inhabit it...
alone...
fears we stored there
come out and play
on the pillow,
squatting in my ears and brain.
My legs splay...
without impediment... without comfort...

The duvet is all mine and I lie down
under its down,
stiff, still,
embalmed in tears,
my innards all plucked out.