While    you   were    out     of    town
            I       went    to   your  house   and
I     slept    in     your  bed    and
    I        pet   your    cat  and
made        her     purr and
      under    your    soft    blanket
I        wondered  if    you
would           ever  love  me enough
that       you   would  want to         kiss
    every    inch         of       the walls
that    watch    me sleep at       night   and
   that is      how   I      feel for you   and
that is    why    I   am  here now  w a i t i n g
         for      you  to come home,
sometimes      it seems  the  only  way
                  to   love      you    is       to    wait.

Will    your   memory   foam mattress
       tell     you       I    was     here?
I         fell         to   sleep   like
    I          was      in       your   arms.
I    watered    the   plants.
  I              fed    your        betta  fish
just   in        case     you         had      forgotten   and
     if       the    flowers     on          
the  kitchen table     don’t  tell   you,
       I        will:
I        miss          you           more than I should
and          you’ve       left        holes
         that                I        can’t          fill.
Image credit:Rowan Saunders

Claire Mora Parsons tries dutifully to live and write with intention. Her work is featured in numerous Montana anthologies and in issue #22 of Whitefish Review. In June 2019 she published her first book of poetry, titled Blackberry.