The House Is Empty

The House is Empty. My heart is a hole filled with sadness

I lift the leftover meatloaf from the refrigerator, not one bumps my knee, waiting for a tidbit

I walk into the kitchen, the bowls are gone, the bone jar is no more.

The linens are no longer on ‘his’ chair,

The House is Empty. My heart is  a hole filled with sadness

The sofa is so  big, so empty. gone is the sweet form in ‘his’ spot.

My feet have no paws stumbling over them,

My shins feel no pressure from the body pressed against them.

My ears listen for the dragging footsteps, the pacing and the panting voice.

The House is Empty. My heart is a hole filled with sadness

I open the freezer, and stare with tears in my eyes at Jakes popsicles.

As I wipe the nose smears from the glass door, I know they will still be gone in the morning.

I sit, lonely in my bathroom, no face pressed against my knee.

No greeter at the door when I return from the YMCA, I burst into tears as we step into the empty house

No furry face asking to go out the door and in again.. no one follows me into the backyard

My lamb is not following me, I can’t walk my laps around the pool, my heart chokes me.

No precious face staring at me as I unpack the groceries, waiting to see what I brought him.

The House is Empty. My heart is a hole filled with sadness

I open my kindle to read, the words mean  nothing.

I sit with my legs under the desk top, no warm face lying on my knee and feet on my feet.

The House is Empty. My heart is  a hole filled with sadness

Its 4:30 pm , no furry face peers up into mine and says, it’s time to fix dinner Mama

No sound of feet running to me, when the microwave door opens,

No feet running to me, when the fridge pops open, the range turns on,

No one barks at a fedex knock on the door,

No one leaps from the sofa when the garage door warns daddy’s home.

The leash and the collar lay silent in the drawer.

The House is empty, my heart is broken.

I cry. I cry again.