I

There are two bedrooms here
the bed is long, the pillows are soft
and the night is very hard

I wake in the night
fearing he's not there,

fearing he is.

II

again
the door is opened and then closed
the ceremony is re-enacted, the passion play begins

the sounds of return:
the clatter of a drape dragged along its track
closing off the light of the late afternoon

water running in a clogged sink
the clash of ceramic plates
the final slamming of doors.



§ § §

Candace Carman was born in Canada in 1952.. A published author and poet, she is a member of International PEN and formerly a member of The League of Canadian Poets. She is the author of two books of poetry, "Pale Lady" and "The Songs of Bathsheba" published by Fiddlehead Press. She writes short stories and flash pieces as well as working with photographic images.

Her paintings, mixed media and ceramic works can be found in private collections in Canada, France, Great Britain, Israel and the United States. She has always she’s been captivated by the image, whether verbal or visual. She now lives and works in the United States. See her website at http://www.candacecarman.com htt

These pieces were first published in INK POT #3 - 2004, a literary journal.

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