Fiery Blue Eyes

Standing by her hospital bed, I didn’t feel the pain Instead, I felt sorrow that she looked so very frail Like a rose that’s been sitting in a vase far too long Slowly losing petals that leave it looking like death And I knew that it was her time to leave this place Her strength had always been apparent to her family She didn’t ever stop except to take a slow drag from Her Winston, something many believed would kill her Yet, she didn’t die from smoking, but from living longer Than she might have expected to live when she was young As I stared down at her closed eyes and remembered Dread seeped through my veins, making me tremble inside Leaving me with a melancholy that would lead me toward Depression, then despair, and back into fear and tears That rain down on my soul like a shower pours over the earth I was drowning in my own words which would not come Words of compassion and warmth, wailing out a echo of hope That she might live through this mysterious illness that left her Feeling like she couldn’t even open those bright expressive eyes Which had always shown with compassion and insight and wisdom When I left her there that night with a light kiss on the cheek I didn’t know it would be the last time I would see her here On this dismal ground where she had left me to live my life Despite her death and the grim reminders of her beautiful spirit Which color me in hues of blue, like her eyes, fiery blue STRAND COMPLETELY NEW(6),any form,any theme Poetry Contest Sponsored by Brian Strand July 6, 2020