Hospice Whispers

(A lone elderly man holds his wife's hand, for maybe the last time, and whispers. As she sleeps)

Although your beauty may fade with age

My only love
Don't you dare leave me alone 

Although the shadows like midday angels may slowly appear 

Creeping in
Sent from above 

To take you home

Although your smiles may diminish in numbers 

As our old world slumbers

Although your inner sun
May have ebbed and lost its shine 

With the passing of time

Although I may not say it often enough
Although my mind may be elsewhere 

I do so love you 

So try to lift up your tired heart, my love, and relight your fires

Try to erase the numbness to regain the sharpness 

Ignore the changes with the turn of each of life's many pages 

Although you may think you've lost your inner shine
 
Carry this wondrous prose, just deep within that beautiful mind

A simple thought I just send

From me to you 
My love

For this is not the end
Only our new beginnings 
To start winning 

Hold my hand 
Tighter
Show me you're still mine

Surreptitiously, beyond all the grayest of skies 

For I am yours forever, beyond what people might say and conspire

And here I still stand, with eyes glazed lit 

Like the first day I met you
Still under your mesmerising power 

Lips pursed, looking for my own loving nurse 
To ignite my fires

For I breathe in your shadows 

Walk in your footsteps, just craving to stop your tears 
As surely as the Lord wept

May you always be mine, my divine gift 

Whose Love bestows my life with so much happiness and bliss

For if you leave me now 
Wilting alone, if you go home
I'll cry 

And inside 
You'll leave me alone to slowly wither and die

So fight my love
Fight to live

For together,
We still have so much more to share and give

(Man bows and kisses his wife's soft hands as her tired eyes slowly open)

(C)
Copyright John Duffy

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025



Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Be the first to comment on this poem. Encourage this poet.

Get a Premium Membership
Get more exposure for your poetry and more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Reflection on the Important Things

Member Area

My Admin
Profile and Settings
Edit My Poems
Edit My Quotes
Edit My Short Stories
Edit My Articles
My Comments Inboxes
My Comments Outboxes
Soup Mail
Poetry Contests
Contest Results/Status
Followers
Poems of Poets I Follow
Friend Builder

Soup Social

Poetry Forum
New/Upcoming Features
The Wall
Soup Facebook Page
Who is Online
Link to Us

Member Poems

Poems - Top 100 New
Poems - Top 100 All-Time
Poems - Best
Poems - by Topic
Poems - New (All)
Poems - New (PM)
Poems - New by Poet
Poems - Read
Poems - Unread

Member Poets

Poets - Best New
Poets - New
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems
Poets - Top 100 Most Poems Recent
Poets - Top 100 Community
Poets - Top 100 Contest

Famous Poems

Famous Poems - African American
Famous Poems - Best
Famous Poems - Classical
Famous Poems - English
Famous Poems - Haiku
Famous Poems - Love
Famous Poems - Short
Famous Poems - Top 100

Famous Poets

Famous Poets - Living
Famous Poets - Most Popular
Famous Poets - Top 100
Famous Poets - Best
Famous Poets - Women
Famous Poets - African American
Famous Poets - Beat
Famous Poets - Cinquain
Famous Poets - Classical
Famous Poets - English
Famous Poets - Haiku
Famous Poets - Hindi
Famous Poets - Jewish
Famous Poets - Love
Famous Poets - Metaphysical
Famous Poets - Modern
Famous Poets - Punjabi
Famous Poets - Romantic
Famous Poets - Spanish
Famous Poets - Suicidal
Famous Poets - Urdu
Famous Poets - War

Poetry Resources

Anagrams
Bible
Book Store
Character Counter
Cliché Finder
Poetry Clichés
Common Words
Copyright Information
Grammar
Grammar Checker
Homonym
Homophones
How to Write a Poem
Lyrics
Love Poem Generator
New Poetic Forms
Plagiarism Checker
Poetics
Poetry Art
Publishing
Random Word Generator
Spell Checker
Store
What is Good Poetry?
Word Counter