"Return?"

For my one true love, my wife, my everything

“Return?”

I stare silently

Return, I need you

Please, come haunt me

No one else will do

Nightly, I press my cheek to your bed sheets

To find your waning presence

But your aroma will surely cease

Yet I shall never wash them, in hopes of a return of your scent

I preserve a lock of your hair

With this remaining piece of code

I wait for technologies to bear

A resurrection, to be bestowed

Constantly, I sculpt you from memory storage

To instill your full-round image

So that when I am senile in old age

My muscle memory could still reproduce your face

Therefore, when my mind lacks recognition aptitude

My hands will always remember your pulchritude

I visit your favorite places and always pull a chair for you

I queue your favorite songs and imagine you're playing them from your room

I watch your favorite shows so we can talk about them when I see you again

I stay on my side in case you come back to bed

I text, “I miss u” to your phone number

And when the new user replies annoyed, I pretend it's you playfully bothered

Keeping me company, my videos of you I conserve

As I eat dinner

Not alone, But your voice to converse

Your smile to admire

Your words to ponder

Your gaze to gaze upon, here

I notice, though just a screen

Your eyes are genuine,

If I slightly squint mine

Your voice true, if a muffle intervenes

I can pretend

This is not the end

I push play

Then I hear you say

“Hey babe, I've gotta stay late today. I'll be home soon though”

And slow, I reply, longing toward the glow,

“It's okay my love. I'll wait for you”

I wait...

And turn...

I wait...

Return?

And wait... ...

And turn again...