Not Your Bitch Anymore

Sometimes you’re more of an alarm clock than a lover
And the bell goes off at 3 pm
And I, your Pavlov companion an ocean away
salivate for something more.
Your hand reaching for my face
or the day you will return to the door.
There comes an afternoon when the dog no longer welcomes a voice it once knew
When abandonment digs in like a choke chain
And being left sings a throaty wail to fend off anyone who comes too close.
No, no.
I know this trick.
The one where you disappear.
The one where you don’t come back.

I wouldn’t know what to do if you did.
I wouldn’t know what to do if you stayed.