by Margaret Hunter
SLIPPING AWAY
Across the bed my brother’s eyes met mine
We both, unspoken, knew
That life was ebbing from our weakening father
Dad’s sleeping at peace
We hope for release
My finger on his pulse still felt the throb of life
But creeping coldness in his arm
Heralded Death’s imminent arrival
Dad’s drifting away
We want him to stay
Solicitous nurses offered tea and comfort
To the patient witnesses around his bad
Nurturing the living in these dying moments
Dad’s fading so fast
Soon he’ll breathe his last
Breath stopped; a final sigh, so soft
And soon stone-cold
The once man, once Father lay
Dad’s gone now no pain
Our loss is his gain
How unmomentous this momentous death
Within the room the silence of eternity
But outside – footsteps, laughter
Sounds of those whose Father had not died
Our whispered goodbyes dissipated into air
Our tears dried on our cheeks
On the pillow lay a blood-red rose
A symbol of our Mother’s love
We nestled her in our embrace
And silently we left the empty room.
Last updated March 16, 2011