A Conspiracy

he starts coming over more often,
breaking my solitary habits, so that
I no longer fall asleep listening to
my rabbit grinding her teeth; I
fall asleep cuddled up against his warmth.
I protest at first; he keeps coming
back anyway, two dogs in tow that
adore me no matter how I scowl
at them, forbidding them to sleep
on the couch or sprawl across
the kitchen floor.
tonight, I find myself alone all of
a sudden and it feels kind of lonely;
the house feels a bit empty.
I see it was all a conspiracy to
break this house of solitude I built
over so many years.
It’s about time.