To love someone who is dying

my grandmother and two of my close friends were diagnosed with cancer. One of my friends is faring well with his treatments and the other... isn't particularly.

To love someone who is dying
is to cry at odd times:

it's to savor the bitter dregs of tea
years drunk;

gathering spoons from restaurants
stamps, beads, and baubles
that by holding on
maybe s/he(they) can too

it's a dull ache,
nightly tears,
and a fear
there won't be any left-
just the dark space
between the edge of the bed
and the bottom
of another empty tissue box;

it's too many hugs,
forced optimism,
and attempts to cover
the tissue paper laughs-

guilt at trying to cut
ropes that might pull you under
as they go 6 feet or deeper.

It's a love that doesn't
know what to do with itself;
and a question of faith
more profound than
the inevitability
of a closed curtain.

Author's Note

Reviews

[TheBandit]

"the tissue paper laughs-"
I never see such serious and important and huge and really really deep emotion expressed in such understandable and simple ways.
Like relating things in objects, sure they're words but they're words that make objects that don't need more words and I love that.
I'm gonna write that on my wall of inspirational words that should go together.

[DrD]

this work seems to have been dormant for a while but I stumbled across it and wanted to tell you how much it was appreciated. A very nice job.

[.]

I've had people die in my life, but most of them went quick. Your piece really brings to life that pain and emotional kalidescope of the slow death. Not knowing for sure how to feel, how to act or how to respond to those around. At the same time, trying to cope with your own feelings. I'm sure it's not easy.

Hugs! - Ash

[hmm]

deep & powerful write here. Such emotion written out.