Hollow

[addy]

After, when I’ve purged
the cupboards of his lurking spirits
and my sheets smell only of Lenor,
I might think back to all this
with acquiescence--
a slow gravity of happiness.

For now, I cringe.
The house; it’s twice as big.
I crawl against its walls,
counting each step to make sure
all my corners are the same.

I pee with the door open,
completely alone.
The freedom makes me queasy.
A sensation of absence
belies this new stranger.
But it’s not him:
invisible and unwelcome,
it is me. Only me.

[heslopian]

This is a fascinating poem. The aftermath of a relationship once it has ended has been explored countless times in pop culture, but rarely with this much depth and originality. You turn the experience into a Victorian ghost story.

After, when I’ve purged
the cupboards of his lurking spirits
and my sheets smell only of Lenor, I like that reference. Gives the piece a refreshing modernity. Many poets for some reason fear anchoring their work in their own time.
I might think back to all this
with acquiescence-- Is "acquiescence" really the right word? I would have thought it should be something like "acceptance."
a slow gravity of happiness.

For now, I cringe.
The house; it’s twice as big. Would a question mark or colon work better after "house"? The semi-colon seems a trifle strange.
I crawl against its walls,
counting each step to make sure
all my corners are the same.

I pee with the door open,
completely alone.
The freedom makes me queasy.
A sensation of absence
belies this new stranger.
But it’s not him:
invisible and unwelcome,
it is me. Only me. Perfect last verse. For some reason it makes me think of The Sixth Sense's ending, where Bruce Willis realises he was the ghost in the world of the living all along.

[addy]

Thank you for the compliment, and most especially for the feedback! (For the record, you are so right about "acceptance". Thank you!)