Sad embrace of tears and sweat ruining my makeup
reaching my mouth
Worked so hard to apply with hands shaking and
heart racing but
we said goodbye
Sad embrace of soft fur in my hands when the
needle entered, I
just bought this new shade yesterday
His breathing labored, my
heart cried, my
ears bled
Sad embrace of his empty bed in my room, the
food donated, the
lonely walks
Trying to fathom the flavor of makeup and
tears and sweat
running into my mouth
Maybe honey
Mona Mehas (she/her) writes poetry and prose from the perspective of a retired disabled teacher in Indiana USA. A Pushcart Prize nominee, her work has appeared in over 70 journals, anthologies, and online museums including Paddler Press Trip Log and IHRAM Literary magazine. Her poetry chapbooks, Questions I Didn’t Know I’d Asked and Hand-Me-Downs are available on Amazon. Two of Mona’s poems received first place honors in the 2023 Poetry Society of Indiana Fall contest. Mona is Editor-in-Chief of Cicada Song Press and 2nd VP for Poetry Society of Indiana. She is searching for a home for her first novel and working on a novel in verse.