So many die in their sleep
with the assistance of
hospice helpers’ helpers
with partners not far be-
hind, slipping away peace-
fully. It wasn’t meant to
be like this, not as they
came to terms with mort-
ality envisioning the joy
of being together for a
decade more, maybe and
then the “Please forgive
me,” the goodbye kiss
and the last “I love you,” but
slam, bam, out of nowhere
ridiculous, idiotic, senseless,
insane, crazy, wrong-side-
of-the-highway driver, crash-
ing into them in a nano-sec-
onds, violent death. What
now; what now? Shock–not
even grief, numb. How to
face another day, one day,
one hour, one second when
the numbness wears thin
and the heart pain perm-
eates every membrane of
existence? After sixty years
of being together, through
everything, no time to say,
“I’m sorry — please forgive
me — I love you –good-bye.”
How to be alone, alone,
alone? How to be? Friends,
loved ones to hold, caress
him like a baby, listen,
listen, listen, hold his
hand, shh, shh, hope
and then, later, maybe
much later, stand, walk,
talk together, maybe,
shh…shh….