Where I Sleep When Liz Is Away
When Liz is not here,
I sleep on the sofa.
Just me and the dog and a movie on tv.
When our eyes begin to lower like flags of surrender,
and the night sounds surround us,
we zip up for the evening
just my dog and me.
The bed is just too wide for one lonely person.
The couch is just right for a dog and a person.
She squeezes behind me,
her hot-water-bottle body keeping me warm.
In the night,
when I need to pee,
I old-man shuffle and
quietly sneak out the patio door.
Not that there is anyone
I need to fear waking.
Just respect for the night time,
the crickets,
the quiet…
It is as close to camping
as I get any more.
Quietly back to the warmth
of my bag on the sofa
my bed-friend is waiting.
We arrange our jigsaw bodies
in the cushions and pillows.
Perhaps a few more “winks”
before the light of dawn.
