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Jacob Mclaughlin Poem
You’re dying but you’re smiling.
And I’m smiling too because you know
That dying isn’t an excuse to stop living.
Friday night I had an essay to write
But you finally got fed up with laying in a hospital bed
You challenged me to a pushup contest
We got down on the ground, arms in, back straight
One, two, three, at thirty six the nurse walked in
Almost dropped what she was carrying
“You should be in that bed” she said
I looked her in the eye and told her
“The day he gives up and lays in bed is the day he stops living”
At fifty nine the doctor came in
“Son you shouldn’t be able to breathe much less do pushups”
You told him “I’ve already done sixty. You’re welcome to stay and watch”
At eighty one there was quite the crowd.
Nurses and interns watching us instead of their patients.
The doctor said to them “one of these two kids is dying
“But neither one will stop living.”
And that is why I visit you every day.
Every day I walk past sixty three rows of stones and flowers
Turn left, and walk down one, two, all the way to number thirty three on the end
I sit down next to your cold stone nametag and flowers people left you
I look up to the sky, sometimes lips trembling, sometimes eyes watering
And I say to you
Never stop living
Copyright © Jacob Mclaughlin | Year Posted 2014
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