| Then
Scrabble, chess, and backgammon
piled haphazardly on bookshelves
coasters and bottlecaps
spilling from ashtrays
pillows tossed carelessly onto the floor
and walls bouncing back spontaneous laughter
Now
a lone deck of cards
laying on the coffee table, neatly
beside the remote still
programmed to her favorite channels
with only the shadow of her footsteps
for company
| 
