The Day After

She opens her eyes and crawls out of bed
Goes through the motions of the morning
While she's playing back memories in her head
And all those voices that are droning

Are trying to get her to fall to the ground
To admit that she can't taste victory
She can't get rid of these defeated sounds
But she refuses to succumb to history

Of nights in which she slept after tears
And waking up to find she's all alone
But she's not falling to the pain that sears
Because she can make it on her own

She takes a moment to pause and reflect
Wondering if he's doing the same
Questions if this break he ever bothers to inspect
Assumes he's already calling another name

The tears well up in the depths of her eyes
But she steadies herself and stands up tall
Because crying for this is wrong, she decides
And she's not about to let herself fall

She decides it's time to clean up this mess
That he so carelessly left behind
All these memories will soon mean less
When true happiness she finally finds

With time his name will only be a word
That bears no sorrows and no pain
With time his name will be one unheard
Anywhere in the depths of her brain

Someday she'll be bright and she will smile
And her voice will ring with lovely laughter
But she knows that it will take her a while
Because it's only the day after.