For Bill

("Simple Mind", 2011, original acrylic) For Bill A day spent with you actively dying Or rather in this case rapidly fading away Almost ten decades weighing heavy On all our hearts Only to have you rally Just as I’m leaving for home To lonely dogs and my own bed So we part on a lucid note And Carol decides to stay Something in your rattling breath Saying it might be your last together Out in the hall a fellow resident You know, the one who wears all his hats Stacked on his head Wheels his chair around Perennial coffee cup in hand Eager to visit while everyone else Remains firmly in their nests A night owl fearful of sleeping For fear of missing something Not sure if or how he knows We are here for you And your lingering last day He volunteers these words of consolation; “He’ll get there eventually” As if it’s the obvious destination Of us all. And I head home alone Unsure what tomorrow will bring But sure today will never be again To dogs eager to come inside Reluctant to sleep And possibly miss something important In the human world To a wee dram of whisky And a spin of George Harrison’s Achingly beautiful classic All Things Must Pass “Forgetting to give back Isn’t it a pity…” So Bill To your good health In the moments that remain And to your safe passage Beyond all that remains When the cup is drained What once was full Slainte Mhath! (10/12/23)