I trace your name in morning shadows, struggling to remember the warmth of your arm around my waist or if you took your coffee with milk.
The sun climbs in the sky as noon approaches–misty golden light that pervades dusty, broken blinds. I do everything I can to avoid the light: scrubbing clean counters, filling your dog’s bowl, making the bed over again.
In the shower, I knock over your shampoo. Pine and sage envelopes the tile floor, the beige walls we never painted. It seeps into my skin, leaving me raw.
Erin Jamieson (she/her) holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Miami University. Her writing has been published in over eighty literary magazines, including two Pushcart Prize nominations. Her poetry chapbook, Fairytales, was published by Bottlecap Press and her most recent chapbook, Remnants, came out in 2024. Her debut novel (Sky of Ashes, Land of Dreams) came out November 2023. She resides in Loveland, Ohio.
