After the Dark (a dedication to My Dad)

We sat, watching him breath

Slowly in and out

Regular at first

He looked comfortable

But his eyes were tightly shut

We sat talking, to bide away the time

Waiting for his eyes to open

To recognise us

To talk to us

Just to give some sort of response

Nurses came and went

Checking this and that

Only talking if asked a question

Disclosing little information

The clockhands slowly turned

Relatives came and went

but to other patients

Some glanced over at him

Sympathetic to our plight

Gradually his breathing changed

Not regular like before

Rasping, more shallow

Breath in, wait a few seconds

Then out again

Not wanting to worry the other

We changed the subject

Talked smalltalk

But that didn't work

We checked his breathing once again

It was hardly audible now

Could just about detect the in from the out

I called the Nurse, to ask her advice

She pulled the curtain around him

Shutting us out, leaving us guessing

Eventually she emerges

The news is not good

Could be a few hours or less

He is slipping away from us

NO!

We weren't prepared for this news

She cries softly, I cry too

We thought he was getting better

This can't be the end

All is lost and

my Dad is dying before my eyes

I sit there helpless

We start to talk to him again

Willing him to open his eyes

To hear our words of comfort and love

But nothing changes

That night, before our eyes

He passed away

Taking with him all our happy memories

of good times we'd spent together

and after the darkness

came the Dawn of a new day

a difficult day to face

without my dear old Dad

© A.Elibol