Back in October, 1998 my friend Karl was going through a hard time. His father had heart surgery, and then a stroke. He was dying, and Karl brought him home from the hospital so he could die at home. Karl had lost his spouse a few years earlier to a serious illness. He wrote this, his first poem, while sitting at his father's bedside.
All night I wait,
he cries and moans.
I feel his pain,
as if my own.His death draws near,
with breath so shallow.
This place I've been,
so steeped in sorrow.Another life,
so dear to me.
Leaves this world,
how can this be?When life is gone,
and tears are wept,
I'll carry on,
with no regret.To live our lives,
that is the goal.
To love someone,
and share our soul.
©1999 K Raftery