In the chaos
The morning light still streams in
While my coffee goes from scalding
To sippable
But he’s gone
Even though he’s right over there
Slumped in his chair
Man, I hate that chair
In the quiet
The morning light still streams in
Though there are not as many windows
And not as much coffee
It’s smaller here
It’s comfortable enough
We’ll see if I can make it
The home I deserve
Alisa R. James joined the Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange in October 2023 when she decided to take her writing more seriously. Her work has been published in Uppagus, Humans of the World and the 50th Commemorative Anthology for the PPE. In her professional life, Alisa is a Senior Marketing Director for Optum Behavioral Care. In real life, she’s an avid basketball and tennis superfan, enjoys visiting her college-aged daughters, and lives with her 17-pound life partner, Tank.