L Milton Hankins Poet Free verse

The Day Momma Lay Dying

I will forever remember the day my Momma lay dying
It is etched into my mind like a permanent scar
The eerie quiet that suddenly settled over the room,
Except for the lowing sounds of muffled crying and
Sad, comforting strains as Uncle Len plucked his guitar
Momma said his notes were the last she wanted to hear
As the sun sank in the west and dusk hovered nearby,
Seemed like angels somewhere afar were welcoming
As the time for her departure became increasing clear.
Her long nightmare of suffering had come to an end,
And none of us wished for her to continue in such pain.
Slowly turning her head, she showed no fear, a last look,
It appeared as if she was sloughing off the present
In anticipation for the reward of her heavenly home,
Though we were feeling deep, immeasurable anguish
We were part of that somber moment…she was gone.

written January 17, 2022

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Kim Rodrigues January 17, 2022 at 7:32 PM Read your note to Tom. Though you weren’t with her, the imagination of the moment is with you and perhaps you’ve heard others talk about it. So sorry that you lost your mom at a young age. Kim Rodrigues January 17, 2022 at 9:00 PM <3 L Milton Hankins January 17, 2022 at 8:24 PM I think about her so often, wondering what life would have been like had she lived longer and shared some of my adult years.

Kim Rodrigues January 17, 2022 at 7:29 PM Sweet Milton, I totally understand. My mom was in a comatose state at the end but thankfully on a phone call we had an “I love you” fest, not knowing that she would soon die. A great poem that speaks in so many ways…the sadness, looking at a heavenly home, the fact that we will never forget our experience, and most of all how precious are moms are and how much we miss them. ~ hugs L Milton Hankins January 17, 2022 at 8:25 PM Thank you so much, Kim, for your warm-hearted, caring, and thoughtful comment on my poem.

Robert Gorelick January 17, 2022 at 4:54 PM My mother's passing seemed stark and surreal compared to your romatic version. L Milton Hankins January 17, 2022 at 5:01 PM Robert, I really appreciate your thoughtful and insightful response to my poem. Thanks so much. It is always a very difficult time in our lives.

Tom Cunningham January 17, 2022 at 3:24 PM So sad Milton, I too was with my mother when she passed and even though you know its inevitable it's still a shock. It's only afterwards that you realise that it was for the best as they are no longer suffering. But it's something that stays with you forever. Tom L Milton Hankins January 17, 2022 at 4:06 PM Tom, I really wasn't with my mother at the moment of her death. I could not bear to be. I was only 15 years old. So, this is a fictional account. I know in my heart I romanticize her passing, but she died surrounded by love and family after suffering years with cancer.