null
Anniversary Week

Anniversary Week

It has been a year since my partner died

in that hospital bed at home,

surrounded by family and friends,

struggling and agitated

until peace finally comes.

Funny, his name is Peace.

All are glad to see the

suffering end, but we are

just at the start of our own suffering.

I take a long time with him

during his transition,

making sure I am with him on his journey.

I touch him, hold him close,

then release him to the waiting undertakers.

I watch as they gently place him in a bag,

carry him on a gurney to the hearse,

drive off and round that corner,

out of sight.

Forever.

Forever. Incomprehensible, but true.

That one person who shared

the profound, the mundane, the thrilling,

who had my back,

interested in day to day life events.

We shared a common language,

jokes only known to us,

adventures and hard times,

building up a store of memories

which burn with a knowing that

they will never happen again.

One day they will be a comfort,

as he will carry on, integrated

into the very fiber of my being.

But not yet. The pain is still too great.

About the Author

Elsa Lichman is a retired social worker who has experienced a great deal of loss. She finds writing about it and sharing her journey with grief to be therapeutic. In retirement she has turned to the arts for solace, creativity, joy, and healing. She hopes others will find her writing helpful.

Jul 26th 2022 Elsa Lichman

Recent Posts