The Passing

One by one, People of my dad’s generation Are passing away. A call came At 9 a.m. on a Sunday An old family friend Died, at 91. Cause of death: old age Soon, a photo of the deceased, Arrives on WhatsApp Lying still on a hospital bed. The wife stands nearby Gazing at the husband. Fingers pressed against Her cheeks She is mourning two deaths The physical death of her husband And the death of a decades-long marriage What now? There will be no one to share the days and nights. Their children are scattered all over the world. The life alone, Is terrifying at the best of times. More so, during the last stages of life. The husband had the company of the wife When he passed away But what about the wife? Who will give her companionship Before she transitions to the next world? Her children, perhaps. The cycle of life Spring, summer, autumn and winter. No matter how powerful you are. Or how rich. Or how charismatic The ascent is always followed by a descent To the graveyard Or the crematorium. Depending on your religion. You have to say goodbye one day. But it’s not easy… this last lap To extinction. Many suffer prolonged agony. Some lose their minds To dementia and Alzheimer’s. A few have bodies ravaged By cancer. Many have regrets About the actions they took But it’s too late. An act can never be undone. It’s like a word which comes out of the mouth. You cannot pull it back. So forgive yourself And forget about it. It’s also frightening to behold That one day, we too Will have to go through the same process. A friend said, “Let’s live, As if each day is going to be our last. And cherish it to the fullest.” Easily said, But difficult to implement. The human mind Slides into negativity so easily. And so persistently. The fight between light and darkness Occurs at every moment. This battle will go on. Till the exhausted heart gives up And stops beating...