Diana Darby ** "I V" ** Intravenous

So Long

This time the neighbors know we’re serious.
This time they know it’s for real.
We’ve got the sign out,
the realtor sign.
No more “For Sale By Owner.”
No more black and white flyer
or rooms half-ready.
This time we’ve got all our ducks in a row.
We’ve got new pillows
and towels.
We’ve got white cotton shower curtains and park benches
and flowers by the door.
And we’ve got eco-friendly welcome mats.
We’ve got our floors scrubbed and our tables dusted
and our windows clean.
We’ve got every blade of grass cut
and yellow tulips planted by the mailbox.
This time we’re ready to leave.
The funny thing is,
now that it looks so good
part of me wants to stay.
But I tell myself there are better things ahead.
New adventures.
New places to explore.
Maybe New York
or Seattle.
Maybe I’ll live somewhere where the ticks won’t bite me in the summer
and the mosquitoes won’t know me on a first name basis.
Anyway,
I’ve been here long enough.
Trouble’s gone
and there’s no point staying in this house without him.
This was his hill,
and his yard,
and now that he’s gone
it’s time for me to go too.
He wouldn’t have wanted me to stay.
And so
I turn the page.