Limits

The necklace he gave her
Feels heavy upon her neck
She smokes
One cigarette,
(Just one)
Sets limits for herself
In her dead mothers
Recliner chair;
Lets the beads of his gift scatter
They scratch the hardwood.
(Comforting permanence)

A plastic stick sits
Upon her bathroom counter,
A red line tells her:
She is alone in the world.
But there is no relief in loneliness.