A Portrait of Grief, A Poem Composed by Gabriel Bates

A Portrait of Grief

A Poem Composed by Gabriel Bates 

She’s sitting on the couch,

beautiful as always,

putting her sneakers on.

It’s an old pair

she hasn’t worn

in a few years.

That’s when the tears start

coming out of nowhere,

and I ask her,

“What’s wrong?”

But she doesn’t say anything.

She just points at something

stuck to the insoles—

a couple of white hairs

from the family dog

that’s dead and gone.

Bio: Gabriel Bates is a poet living in Tiffin, Ohio. His work has appeared in several publications, online and in print. Keep up with him at gabrielbates.substack.com