When Nothing Is Left

for Virginia Woolf

by Rose Mary Boehm


Those first times they would
on occasion run into each other
feeling something.
Substance.

She’d noticed it one summer
night. The moon had penetrated
her own reflection
in the large sliding doors.

After that, her husband
would frequently reach through
her for the drink
she had placed
on the mantel.

Gradually he also lost density.
The house filled with mirrors
confirming
their essential natures.

One Wednesday morning
as he wished her good morning,
she grabbed his reflection,
walked out through the garden door

and drifted towards the river,
picking up stones
on the way.


* * * * *

"When Nothing Is Left" was first published in Rose Mary Boehm's poetry collection The Rain Girl (Chaffinch Press, 2020).

Rose Mary Boehm is a German-born British national living and writing in Lima, Peru, and author of two novels as well as seven poetry collections. Her poetry has been published widely in mostly US poetry reviews (online and print). She was twice nominated for a Pushcart. Her latest: Do Oceans Have Underwater Borders? (Kelsay Books, July 2022), Whistling in the Dark (Cyberwit, July 2022), and Saudade (Kelsay Books, December 2022) are available on Amazon. https://www.rose-mary-boehm-poet.com/