the insidious foe

she spent the night in his memory,
clutching a glass awaiting fresh ice cubes.
the condensation cooled her..by the window,
with the telephone (its ears to the counter)
faintly echoing her anxious paces.

her anxious paces

they could be heard acoustically
beneath the weathered floorboards,
and the termites knew their keeper was home.
frenzied, they rose in serendipity
weaving grains of rice through her frail fingers

her frail fingers

parted. and the rice danced atop the tiles
calling viral scavengers from their stances
quickly mounted upon hind legs and hopes
chanting "who here is master? then fall."
nibbling at the 2X4's, at her treasured sentiment

her treasured sentiment

was clammered in the finest crevices
she lacked the will and ingenuity to reach,
yet for now, her heart lit up like July
and nothing hurt...because everything was burned
the skin of her sallow lips went brittle

her sallow lips

trembled, while the cars broke the morning fog
but no whooosh or mild hum came familiar
she knew now the feel of alone.
it was that "other side of the pillow" cold
her guard tumbled under the insidious foe.