Your Deathbed

I laid next

To you

Your skin,

Completely yellow.

For hours.

In your bed.

In the dark.

Your room incredibly heavy.

I sobbed until I had no tears.

Mustered up some jumbled sentences

To tell you how much I love you.

Played a series

Of Church of Christ hymns

To comfort you.

Must have been 2am

When I looked up

And saw you in between worlds.

My eyes froze over in astonishment.

Above your headboard,

Your living son’s portrait,

Positioned to your right.

To your left

Your late son’s portrait,

Both looking down on you.

Handing you off,

gently.

I wasn’t ready for you to leave.

I don’t think you were, either.

You were comatose.

You were leaving.

You were ascending.

You died

with one eye open.

It was the first time,

I spent the night

In Death.