You were not here,
My love,
But I remembered.

The ticket stub
From our first date.

You were not here,
My love,
But I remembered.

The goofy sweater
You got me for my birthday.

You were not here,
My love,
But I remembered.

That blurry picture
Of our first kiss.

You were not here,
My love,
But I remembered.

Our pair of favorite
Coffee mugs.

You were not here,
My love,
But I remembered.

The coffee can
With our Europe trip savings.

You were not here,
My love,
But I remembered.

That too-worn hoodie
That still carries your scent.

You were not here,
My love,
But I remembered.

The tiny Buddha
On the cupboard.

You were not here,
My love,
When the fires reached us.

But when your worried face
Surveyed the remains of our home,
I was here.

With a tattered backpack
Holding tiny salvaged pieces
Of our life together.