The sun rises differently

 

and the moon doesn’t shine

Sunsets don’t expand like lavender mist

seeping across the lake

 

this lake we circled together

so many times

 

But tonight nothing’s right

there’s no lightness in my step

and even the crickets forget

to sing their songs

 

Instead the lake is quiet

and the sky a dull gray

capping off an uneventful day

with no word or text from you

 

The sun rises differently

and my mornings are infinitely less

prone to beauty or joy

 

and every decoy I use

to distract or self-soothe

is not working

 

Sadness is lurking

just a step away.