To Whom It May Concern

 To whom it may concern:

sometimes in the middle of the night, I’ll wake up
and see that you are not here
and my heart aches in my chest
so I pretend you are
and bury myself beneath the sheets.

To whom it may concern:
I make up stories in my head, as I’m drifting off,
of the life we might have had
if things had been different
breakfast in bed, midnight laughter amidst sighs
the bliss of you and me.

To whom it may concern:
I’m writing this because I miss you
because tonight, concentrating hard enough to recall
every little breath, sound, graze of skin
isn’t enough
and this ache burrows in my breast.

To whom it may concern:
I think sometimes if I wish hard enough,
one morning, maybe, I’ll wake up and find you
laying next to me, breathing slow
dreaming sweet things,
warming my side.

To whom it may concern:
I endlessly imagine and recall, concentrate and
attempt to hold on tightly to every memory
because the truth of it is
I can’t live without you
and tonight my bed is empty.

by Ly Hansen