The First 72 Hours

by Mckenzie Baker

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What is left? Not a hot day with light
wind. No wooden sunchair, leaned
all the way back next to the pool.

There is no lemonade, or drops
melting down the side of the glass.
You do not jump in the water

with your legs tucked and your arms
around them. There is no smile 
from me; teeth crooked, and gums.

Showing. There is no smile back 
from you, chlorine dripping 
down your side. The liquor is all gone– drank up.

The groceries are gone – the shelves
empty. It is very quiet. There is no cake or candle,
only a vacuum sprinting around the bottom of the pool

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Mckenzie Baker is a writer from Atlanta, GA. She likes doing things that most people do -- like eating good food and going to the movies. Her work has been featured in HuffPost and 3to4oz, the undergraduate literary magazine at Wake Forest. She occasionally posts on instagram at @kenziewritingthings.