"Drained" Inspired by In the Shadow of a Queen:

Drained

Death took my husband,

slowly and much too soon.

Tears wash my eyes and cheeks.

Sobs quiet,

and they take his hand from mine.

I watch him leave,

never to come back to me,

and the world I’m left with

drains of life.

I wear black

because colors are too bright.

I stop singing

because the notes bring too much joy.

Fulfilling my responsibilities

becomes impossible

because I can’t comprehend

how this world keeps turning

without him here.

Social pressure says

a year of mourning is plenty,

that I should move on now.

But I can’t.

My world isn’t turning like it used to.

My world is still dark and sad.

I’ll take the steps I can

and let colors in as they reappear,

but I will always be in mourning

because my life drained with his.