A man stands alone in his kitchen

hunched over the sink

eating a hunk of cheese and bread

He is exaggeratedly thin

so much so, that you can see his spine

through his clothing

It’s chilly in the room but he

doesn’t seem to notice

Nor does he pay attention to the

bread crumbs that are accumulating on the tiles

around and on his slippered feet

It’s dinner time

according to the clock

but the table’s not set

There are no pots on the stove or pans in the oven

Instead of onion or sage, a dank smell

permeates the house

The clock ticking and the man’s jaw clicking

are the only sounds

and as such

seem exaggeratedly loud

in the tiny room

He turns on the tap and pours

himself a glass of lukewarm water

drinks it rinses the glass and

places it upside down on

the tiny rack by the sink

He then looks around

Unsure about what to do next

It’s already dark outside

He pulls the curtains shut

turns off the lights

and waits a moment for his eyes to adjust

He feels better in the dark

Shuffling down the tiny hall

he checks that the front door is locked

Retracing his steps

he enters the bathroom

surprised by

the outline of a man

But it’s only his reflection

He studies the mirror image

as though looking at a painting

or a schedule

removes his dentures

and drops them into the

glass on the shelf

changes out of his clothes

into a pair of worn out pajamas

then sits on the hard cold

toilet rim and waits

staring blankly at the blue tiles

in front of him

Once done

he hoists himself up

flushes the toilet

and goes into their bedroom

He sits on the edge of the bed

back curved

head in his hands

gets one slipper off

then the other

puts them on again

gets up and goes out

shutting the door behind him

Back through the kitchen

and into the living room

He unfolds the blanket

on the sofa

and lies down

pulling the cover

up to his chin

He can hear the faint

strains of music and laughter

from the party next door

He’s uncomfortable

so he turns onto his side

His eyes search the carpet

until he locates what

he is looking for

A bluish green mark

The stain that Joanna made

one Halloween

a lifetime ago

Now that he’s found it

he begins to relax

settling into himself

he stares at the stain

steadily fixedly

letting his mind wander

further and deeper

until his vision

begins to blur.