This time it's different,

The emptiness unchanged

But distributed,

Seeps from my head, to my heart, to my life.

This time it's different.

This time, for different reasons.

We've sailed through time together

Through four seasons.

This time it's different.

You've left behind some clothes.

I've laundered them, yet those

Are just the empty shell of you.

This time it's different.

I do not count the days.

Mechanically I plod through all the hours,

Thinking of kisses, hugs, and flowers.

This time it's different.

I go to bed thinking of Sunday night

When I can stand and quietly wait your flight.

And then, until the morning, hold you tight.