LIGHTHOUSE

when a woman leaves
she leaves
and leaves
with scents
and all the smells
of the house
when a house is calm
go
with
her
she takes with her the essence
of a place
painting the insides invisibly
while you were not looking
or shall I say, I

when a woman leaves
her smells
are small
hells
each much nastier than a sting
burned into your bed
in a fiery ring

and with her went the candles too
white ones, delightful ones
lit from time to time
shining
when she left she took the pictures
too
no diety confusion
or something
either way my retinals are masked with shadows of lines of the burn mark of her face inside
tonight i missed
that scent
that smell
which i why i sleep with her sweater
it is still there
fading in the rest of a wooden ship
with a white flag
and battered sail
from storms passed
where calm is now
a lighthouse is a lighthouse with or without
a light
lighthouse