A Name Not Forgotten

Mei Justic

in the morning ~

a hot chai latte sits at the coffee table

but that was a long time ago — and the plate has long gone cold 

now that the sky has grayed

and the water mark on the finished wood 

is all that is left

the sun no longer shines through the woolen frays

the china tea cup stays 

in the sink 

as it does

everyday

with the broken handle in my pillowcase

as the dishes pile up

along with the loaf on the counter with mold

and as the box of unsettled memories is buried below

I think about getting up today

Nah. 

I don’t think so 

I say

***

And there i lay back to stare at the wall hanging above me

allowing my brain to split in half

Dissociate 

Encapsulated 

in a nightmare that does not exist

and time that melts my face 

the fireplace stones littered with ash

with eerie airy winds 

and sharp pains

as i remember the way she used to say my name