As She Lay Dying

More than 15 years ago, I sat by the bedside of a dying one. She was unable to utter a single word, but feeling her heart, I wrote a poem about what I felt was her last words. I spoke to a friend about to be divorced and feeling his pain, I wrote him a poem about a husband's plea to save his family. I enjoyed the services of a neighborly cat, and I never expressed any form of gratitude. However, feeling his kindness, I wrote a poem about my failure to return the kindness. Three poems conceived deep inside my heart could not rest until they were shared. And Of these three and hundreds more, I most treasure the poem written from both my heart as well as from the heart of the dying one. That poem, entitled 'Goodnight from Janice' became my gateway to the world of poetry. 100424PS