separated by drywall only

she told

me

she was separated from

her husband.

but not

divorced. she said

there

were too many financial reasons

as to why

they never

ended it all and took

it to court.

there was health insurance

shared,

the dog,

the beach house,

the children, mutual

friends.

it was hard to cut all

the strings

that attached them for

so many years.

we are separated, she told me,

but we share

a kitchen

and a tub,

and sometimes he comes

upstairs.