Coal and I claimed the patio,
                hours of sun,
               beers in hand,
              steady company.

You cheered Tech to a win,
    gold and white carrying the day.

I lifted glasses at Irby’s,
       friends drifting in,
     laughter spilling out.

On the walk home
   I met the pavement hard,
            knee throbbing,
            but not enough
         to spoil the glow.

Today was all numbers,
      all the records broken,
      work humming like a machine.

Steelers win, Falcons loss,
         scoreboard tilting
         every which way.

But your allergies
    kept you quiet.

Tonight uncertain,
         tomorrow—

    I hit the sky.

So I sit here,
     losses lingering,
victories in one hand,
ice pack in the other—

the ache of missing you
far deeper than bruises.