LatinosUSA

(If you know anyone at risk of suicide or if you are at risk, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can call or text 988. Chat lines are available. There are services available for the deaf and hard of hearing.)

Carla, we were there for you then,
All decked out in our finest finery,
And you your radiant self all in white
That cold, gray autumn day, aglow within
The church that sheltered us from sharp rain,
Pelting against its pale clapboard skin,
Running off to mat the red and gold leaves,
A soddened, piled carpet for your departure.

Carla, we were not there for you when
Living our lives and nursing our need
For warmth in the winter night, we did not
Feel your dark shiver. We understood divorce—
Nothing lasts. Love wears, fades, and frays,
Until it tears. We became a still life, frozen,
When we heard. In tears, pondered a whimper
Of pills or a desperate bang. Oh, Carla.

Copyright © 2025 Bruce Morton
All Rights Reserved

Bruce Morton divides his time between Montana and Arizona. He is the author of two poetry collections: Planet Mort (2024) and Simple Arithmetic & Other Artifices (2014). His poems have appeared in numerous online and print venues. He was formerly dean at the Montana State University library.