Day 8 an absent silence

the house returns to me
its sounds loud today
in the silence from other rooms
empty of visitors and family
humidifier hums, clock talks,
and the furnace and fridge
hold their low-key conversations
no snores before the tv screen
no rattle of crinkly bags
nor clink of coffee cups
as they collect in kitchen sink
only the cat and I still here
in this silence of absence
—cas