Today you begin the journey
to a gentle goodbye.
Truthful, honest, alone.
Every deep breath
will be a shallow sigh
of relief from pain long gone.
Today, I shall begin the same journey—
prepare myself to say a true,
honest farewell.
And I will close both your eyes
and mine, and smile
so you can never tell
that my smiling eyes are full of tears
that my heart is broken
and that I sit with you in sorrow;
that I am reminiscing
golden memories that will
never be there tomorrow.
I’d like to walk with you
on this journey to our
gentle goodbyes.
Hand in hand,
for the last possible time
that we’ll look into each other’s eyes.
As we walk we’ll try to grasp,
hold on to every single memory
of your agile youth.
And remember that in spite
of this invalid existence,
we still know the truth
that you are the strongest on earth
in physique, in form,
in countenance and thought
and you stood tall
whether you won or lost
every single battle you fought.
that through all the trials and conflict,
your life’s many tribulations,
you remained steadfast
and in all of us inspired
and instilled with passion
a burning love to last.
that though the ages have ravaged
every single part
of your body and being,
it has never in as much touched
the fighter’s soul of a dying man
who has fought his battles for a living.
