Last Night
I dreamed of you
and woke stunned, confused
by how that slap of memory struck.
Day by day, I long to answer a phone
that never rings. Your name
spans my vision, an ethereal caller ID.
“Hello? Hello? Are you there?”
Dead air greets me.
Released from pain by death
you slipped away while miles from me
though you remain ever present.
Mourning in morning’s light
grief unwinds again.
16 thoughts on "Last Night"
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Ah, yes! And again and again, that unwinding!
“that slap of memory struck.”
Beautifully sad.
Thank you so much, Roberta. We’ve seen some excellent grief poems this month, so I figured I’d join the throng. I’ve been appreciating the variety of poets’ voices processing grief.
Heartfelt poem of grief and longing. Very beautifully written.
Gosh, Virginia! Thanks ever so much.
This is deeply moving—the lingering weight of grief is so visceral here, and it reads as such a loving tribute.
Thank you so much, Michele!
My heart was in this one! When we lose someone, we see them everywhere, dream of them, hear their voices. You have shown that connection in such tender fashion.
Thank you so much, Sylvia!
The grief certainly stays, E.E.!
“Day by day, I long to answer a phone
that never rings. Your name
spans my vision, an ethereal caller ID.
“Hello? Hello? Are you there?”
Dead air greets me. ”
I felt those lines wholeheartedly. Thank you for crafting this and for sharing it with us.
Thank you so much, H.A.
Felt, felt, felt, E.E.
And adore the heaviness and dual meaning of the title.
Thank you so very much, Joseph!
So many beautiful lines and contrasts in this poem. I also like how the stanza length builds and then releases at the end of the poem.
Thank you so much, Nancy!
Perfect capturing of the collide of shock and grief “ I dreamed of you/and woke stunned, confused/by how that slap of memory struck.”