gone
she is
a million billion
scattered atoms
each complete unto
itself and I am at peace
some
would call
her passing
a failure of heart
as though fragility won
despite all best intentions
here
the roses
pale-centred
offer a lemon tang
she couldn’t have known
in her final season but I can
we
assimilate
the remainders
of each attentive breath
she is my stem my roots
and I am her sense of forever