The Widows' Handbook: Poetic Reflections on Grief and Survival

Camp Numbers

246 the widows’ handbook Camp Numbers Barbara Bald I’ve been in these woods seven days, fed our fish twelve shrimp pellets, filled two hummingbird feeders with red juice, given our cat ten doses of pink medicine. I’ve live-trapped twenty-eight field mice with the Tin Cat trap you bought, rescued our Brittany’s toy four times from the river, seen one person, the gas man fixing the fridge, in two days. I’ve written thirteen poems, five about your untimely death, cleaned six cabinets to rid rodent remnants, replaced one roll of toilet paper in the outhouse. I am still waiting for one of you. ...