Pretense of Love

If you were not going to Love me in the morning, You should have crept away Into the moonlight, Faceless You should have left Before the daylight Burst into the bedroom With sparkling hope You should not have stayed Lingered Loitered Laughing in my kitchen Drinking from my plastic mug Acting as If You were going to throw Your painted mask Into the fire No You should have Faded away Like an echo into a canyon Like a name on the tip of a tongue Like a dream almost recalled -- The only clue that you were here An indentation in my sheets I could have smoothed away Instead of This This pretense of love Of normalcy, Of old lovers on An ordinary day, When you won’t even Look me in the eye -- If there is no hope Of love Of a you and me, an “us” Then please just LEAVE I fiercely prefer The fleeting memory