The day the hospice nurse advised
removal of his wife's belongings
for his sake
the long boughs of her blouses
the curved pale bottles of perfume
her tulipwood jewelry box
he began to slip small items
into the fall of his front shirt pocket
curious the weight of
a beaded eyeglass chain
a green pillbox
one threadbare ankle sock
a plastic comb certainly
the round of her wedding ring
rivering inside the cloth
nearly enough
A. E. Swaney
Seattle
