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….