I wrap myself in a blanket.

The warm embrace reminds me of countless hugs.

If I close my eyes I can see your face.

I can strain my ears to hear your laughter.

I can pretend you’re still with me, if only for a minute

But once my eyes open the reality drops like sand bags on my chest.

I’m drowning.

I wish I could say my heart aches but numbness is what follows me.

A void inside my being, like a hollow tree.

I stand tall yet inside I’m nothing but shattered pieces of who I used to be.

They don’t tell you that loss will consume you.

They don’t warn you, for a warning would only pale in comparison to the way my heart shattered when you left.

The blanket is removed from my shoulders.

The cold is like a slap to the face.

Ripping off the bandaid, the pain they say is only temporary.

But what about the hollowness inside my soul?

Will that fade away?