The Mute Swan's Song

for clarity, you may want to read the footnotes the mute swan's song has an ambiance where motion moves naught it hovers in an existence where time becomes meaningless lighting is aloof, a halo shining down the white bed becomes a herald of angels ready to move as the song fades into Empyreal Heights never to return lights dance in the mind racing from red to blue into green the machines are performing appointed tasks, measuring vitals in their ending throes wires and tubes feeding each moment a record of the battle as life succumbs to the inevitable your eyes are closed breathing has become shallow holding your hand, grasping at life adding each precious moment to a memory long embedded in happiness we grew into this silence, holding hands lost in a simple joy of each other's company when our souls existed as one i look up and the breathing has ceased she is free of this mortal coil i bury my tears into her hand the lights are blue, red, and green have gone silent rising to my feet i bend to kiss her whisper into her ear please take me with you Sweet Swan of Avalon, sing now for me let your quill mark my wish in grief please take me with you life is an endless tide that holds us within its laws caught within the flood current we have no power over its ebb there exists no safe harbor free from the tidal laws mother's thoughts on this were mourn a day and return to the plow life is about the living whose last whisper into her ear please take me with you OKC 9/22 The term “swan song” comes from the belief that Mute Swans (Cygnus olor) were completely silent until the last few moments of their life, when they would sing a beautiful song. Although this is an ancient myth and was proven to be false, as far back as 77A.D., the legend has lived on and the term swan song has become mainstream. Shakespeare himself frequently featured this bird in his writing and was given the epithet “Sweet Swan of Avon.” He remarked that, although it was mute, it sang its swan song when ready to die. In act 8 of his play Othello, she was remorseful to similarly remark, “I will play the swan and die in music. “