I now begin the second half

My poetry partner husband

Has abandoned me for sleep

24 too much for him this year

His computer chair is empty

His computer silent

I sit alone

The fans wailing

Just me and the words

Just me

How strange it is

To be alone again

The camaraderie broken,

the poems languish without his ear

The tiredness becomes mine to bear

He is missing

I miss him,

The marathon changes

I must make the journey alone.