Abstract
They ask me what you'd have wanted
As if we spent time talking of dying
Rather than reveling in life's joy-filled ride
Crafting constellations in the sky.
It never occurred
That one day you'd complain of
Soapy eyes and joke of a hangover
Gotten without trying,
And the next be lying there bereft—
Eyes unseeing, heartbeat replaced
By the metronome murmur of
Life distilled.
Whispers of guilt and selfish
Questions of how, why, when:
I should know your wishes but don't—
We had always counted
On having a lifetime
To understand each other
As if we spent time talking of dying
Rather than reveling in life's joy-filled ride
Crafting constellations in the sky.
It never occurred
That one day you'd complain of
Soapy eyes and joke of a hangover
Gotten without trying,
And the next be lying there bereft—
Eyes unseeing, heartbeat replaced
By the metronome murmur of
Life distilled.
Whispers of guilt and selfish
Questions of how, why, when:
I should know your wishes but don't—
We had always counted
On having a lifetime
To understand each other
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 219 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Annals of internal medicine |
| Volume | 172 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 4 Feb 2020 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Grief
- Loss
- Mortality