In the hallway a crumpled guest-list of voices
still hangs on the wall, the silver push-pin
reluctant to allow it to fall.
The living room—his glass half-empty,
a cigarette ash frozen on the arm of his chair,
icicles waiting to fall.
Bedroom curtain peeled back, the poster torn
where he left his promise to change.
I trace the floorboards, its fault lines,
with armored bags under each eye,
and I find the crack where his laughter ended.
The dust collected on the nightlight,
the smoke fogging every corner
after December’s storm.
Outside, the moon climbs like a borrowed ladder.
I fold the map of the house in my pocket,
its linen creases keeping the shape of loss.
On the bus home, I press my palm where my heart used to live.
May Garner is an author and poet residing in rural Ohio. She has been writing for nearly fifteen years and has been sharing her writing online for over a decade. She is the author of two poetry collections, Withered Rising (2023) and Melancholic Muse (2025). Her work has appeared in Querencia Press, Cozy Ink Press, Arcana Poetry Press, Livina Press and, Speckled Trout Review, among others. Find her work on Instagram (@crimson.hands).
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