Half empty cup

 
     Chalk marks on pavement
     Silence and stillness,
     Echoes without voices
     House size with new reference.

     Cuddles in car doors,
     Kisses through air,
     Wander through vacuum,
     Sit alone in my chair.

     A mess of memories
     For me to tidy up.
     Toys, pictures, wrappers,
     A half empty cup.

     No more feeding today,
     No tucking-in tonight,
     No pausing in doorways,
     Making sure they sleep tight.

     Pick up clothes, pick up pieces,
     Clean the kitchen alone,
     Miss their voices, miss their faces,
     Till next they come home.


               David Higgins