A rumbling of fading lungs,
I stare down, emotions mixed,
at this faint shadow of a strong man.
Relief that he is no longer strong,
dismay that it would never be right.
Iron eyes glare up at me,
mouth set in firm line,
then opened as though struggling
struggling to speak.
Again I feel as worthless
as I once did,
that feeling that never fades,
when an insignificant worm,
is faced with the gaping beak
of a mighty eagle.
I too had struggled to speak,
to form the words past the tears,
to explain, to apologize,
anything to postpone the coming agony.
He had never listened.
His mouth gapes open,
his eyes frantic now as he realizes i'm turning,
not listening, about to leave.
I would never see him alive again,
but as I left
heart bitter, full of hate,
shadows scattered dismally over my past,
I hear, with ears straining,
the sound of a single word.
But maybe, it was just the wind
rushing from his lungs one last time.
Maybe he had said nothing,
his last moments of agony nothing
nothing but an act.
But maybe my father had said
the one word I had been longing to hear
within his last breath.
Author notes
Prompt "where there's breath...there's hope"
A contest entry
- Quickie Quote Prompt # 6 by BluesMan.
875 points, ended July 16, 2008, 32 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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Wow, this is absolutly stunning. from the first stanza i was waiting with a bated breath knowing what was to come and yet not expecting it. Its so simply written and yet so powerful, so full of emotion! Good usage of the title and not placing it in your poem, adds more of an effect, and a good one at that. Wonderfully written, grats on the gold, it was well deserved!
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OOPS I should have paid more attention to the title
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Oh my God This is so powerful You had me standing there over his death bed waiting until the his last to hear.... ? I don't know you left me hanging I imagine it can only be one of two or three words that come to mind Thank you for entering my contest
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