Nothing To Say

When someone dies, there's nothing you can honestly say for comfort.

I rushed out the “What?!” Before anything else.
I wanted to tell you that April Fool’s was three weeks ago.
I wanted to tell you that it wasn’t funny.
And then I heard you breaking.

“He’s not that good at acting.” I’d thought.
Then the more you explained the more I felt.
“I’m sorry.” It’d rushed out.

But those weren’t the words you needed to hear.

What you needed was silence, and a hug from a friend.
What you needed was a listener who wouldn’t, under any circumstance, but in.
So I stayed silent as you reminisced, wondering what I could say to you.

Lately people have been passing, but I didn’t think your mother would ever be next.
“Are you okay?” I asked as though you hadn’t been asked enough.
“No.” You replied.

I knew it was true.
Knowing you, you weren’t eating or drinking or sleeping at all.
And as I heard you crying I couldn’t help but tear up.
The truth is, there were many things I’d wanted to say, but none of those phrases could find their way to my mouth.

What do you say when your best friend loses a parent?
What do you say when it’s the parent who’s been nothing but their support?
The answer is nothing, because when you hang up you lose your composure.

I lost mine when I said my phone was dying.
I lost it when I put in on the charger, when I begged it to hurry so I could call again.
I lost myself when I realized that no one is immune.
It all seems so real when someone you’re close to the one who passes.
And the only thing I can think to say is an overused line.
“Call me if you need anything. I’m here for you.”
Because there’s nothing else to say. At this point, it all sounds so sterile.

Author's Note

I wrote this for my best friend. His mother just died yesterday and this morning everyone is just trying to cope. These are my feelings when I was talking to him, there was nothing I could say to make it better.

Reviews

[Donna]

It is hard to find the words to say, but to me, the best thing you can do is just be there. When my Father passed, that's all I wanted was someone there. Very nicely written.

[BlackPrince]

'Lately people have been passing, but I didn't think your mother would ever be next.'

What a deep and sad line! So poetic!

[siobhan]

100/100. Just beautiful. It is written in a sense of admiration and this poem is great, Really great. I love this, keep writing!