Since I am alone every night
in my king sized bed, I keep books,
heating pad, water, by my wall.

Oh.

She makes so much more
sense now that I know
what it is to be too small
for your bed alone.

She kept her bible, newspapers,
cordless phone, by her wall.

Mine on the left, hers on the right.
Mirror, mirror, mirror.

She slept alone for 28 years.

That length of time is too
large for my brain, pushing
the edges outward. Bending.
Stretching.

How? How did she do it?
No dog or cat or plush
companion. Utterly alone.

How did she sleep, unmoving,
so when she woke her bed
looked undisturbed?

What other secrets was she
hiding? Whisper them through
the miles, across the years,
and into the heart of the child
you loved best.