A Routine of Separation

Contributor

Body Beyond

Volume 12, Issue 02
April 1, 2025

After Ada Limón

Every morning when I wake,
I reach towards my side,
expecting an embrace.
When I don’t receive it,
I think of a way to change
my routine: shower, before
brushing my teeth, prepare
the prata only after grinding
the coffee beans like an octopus
curious about difference and
bordering on the unpredictable.
I’d look out to a view of the
Charles—its icy surface gleaming
brightly as the sun envelops
my body with warmth. This life
is the one that I chose,
so why isn’t it enough?
Then, I’d think of you, at home
on the opposite side of the
globe, your bed empty without
me—it’s an empty gesture
perhaps since it brings me no
closer to you, but I refuse to get
used to a routine devoid of you.

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Volume 12, Issue 02
April 1, 2025