Breaking the Bottle

I felt the bottle of wine

As it slipped through my fingers

Watching it as it went down

Hoping it would bounce and I could catch it.

But smash! It broke open as it hit the floor.

The deep red blood staining the white tile.

The bottom came off in one piece

But tiny shards of glass were everywhere.

Then later, it all became so clear.

The thick strong bottle is like our marriage of 38 years.

Dropped suddenly, smashing apart.

Never to be the same again.

And as the blood crept slowly out from the center,

How I wanted to hold it back,

To put it all back together again.

But it wasn't to be. It couldn't be.

I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I kept repeating.

Trying to clean up the mess.

Cutting my fingers on the tiny shards.

Slowly realizing it was over.

Sopping up the mess. Sweeping up the glass.

Trying to avoid being cut.

Feeling so sorry…so sorry

Watching it all disappear into nothingness.

It's over now.

It's all cleaned up.

It's all put away.

Like it never happened.