Upholstery

The rain has made the hallway thick and sweet,

pulling the ghosts from the wood and the sheet.

I reached for the remote beside the base

and pressed the velvet right against my face.

The wintergreen is sharp, a cold and biting sting,

mixed with the yeast that years of sitting bring.

He’s gone, but the chair still holds the heavy bloom

of a body that grew quiet in this room.