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Sonnets From Other Lives: Anastasia

40,000 feet over Ohio
Anastasia felt a sudden surge
of sadness. She fought the urge to cry. No
--she told herself. The mournful dirge
that was the soundtrack of her life
was swelling once again within her, but
she didn’t want her seatmate & his wife
to worry or think she was some nut
case or something. When do these things end?
People lose a loved one & move on
all the time. But here it is again—
the agonizing knowledge that he’s gone.
There’s nothing--& Jesus knows she’s tried--
that fills the void that he used to occupy.