SuperNova Afterglow: End Of Days

The Need To Be Needed

When I hear soft
ruffled sheets and bedspread tucked and smoothed
from her side of the bed
on the days she's off for work early
and I'm nestled in the warmth of blanket heater in dry winter...
When I hear song
the door swings wide and she bursts and bounds inside
after school, bringing crisp leaves swirling and bus brakes unclenching
before the slam seals my world,
while enjoying a cup from my kitchen window perch...
When I hear agony
of floor boards' expansion beneath his feet
after hours of dark illumination by X-box light,
begging some culinary creation to savor because
the aroma of fresh bread and bubbling chili from the kitchen reminds
a neglected appetite...
Love.
Joy.
Needed.

9.29.21 rewritten from prose
20 lines free verse

"Poetic Referendum(s) On Life"