CRUMBLED 
BEHIND  CLOSED  DOORS -
HEY!  YOU  NEVER  KNOW 

She left him – but before leaving –

she left him a letter - placing it -

on the kitchen table – where he

would see it when he got home.

It was a letter addressed to  "YOU” - 

written with a Sharpie Fine Point Pen -

Permanent Marker - with no name - 
just “YOU” on the clean white envelope.

It was on the kitchen table, the sacred 

place where they shared 10,000  words,

along with bread, wine, spaghetti,

laughter and  love over and over again.

He would surely see the letter on the

table  - when he came home  - late -

late as usual - late – too, too late

in the last night of their marriage.

He picked it up - read it - and then

crumbled it in his fist. He banged

the table, tightened his eyes - then

with tears - he uncrumbled the letter.

He read the letter once again. Numb ….

Dumb …. Stunned …. He crumbled

himself - once again –  as he flung

himself into the garbage pail - crumbled.

© Andy Costello, Reflections 2019