but sometimes it catches you
so off-guard
you can only question why
I’d saved the paper from three days before
hoping to get a chance
to read through it
once time offered more
So, on this rainy morning, I pulled it out
looked through the news
scanned the ads
then an obituary invoked an inner shout
I went into a shocked state
for she was my doctor
had delivered a child of mine
I’d just visited her of late
Although she did not look well
and I’d been told she was ill
I believed her to be on the mend
after she’d recently tripped and fell
Yes, I had received a letter
that noted she would be
taking a break from work
but never did I think she wouldn’t get better
But there it was in black on white
she’d died three days
past Christmas morning
my mind just couldn’t make it right
Somehow I felt I was meant to know
since onto that paper
I had held
but, reading those words was such a huge blow
It may take days for it to sink in
I’ve thought of her family
a husband, two girls, a father
how difficult it must have been
What was the reason
a brain tumor
some kind of fate
or, was it just her season
A sense of sorrow overtakes me
stops me in my tracks
then a wish to live fully and long
to become everything that I’m meant to be
Yes, dear people die all the time
it really makes me think of them
and how they spent their lives
then I realize I must make the most
of every minute of mine
as new petals springs forth so must old ones shed and thats the reality of life we must all learn to accept.. lovely heartspell..
such a beautiful way of seeing life and death, Kris…
death is a painful affair, very painful and when you stumble upon it unexpectedly the pain shots sky high or higher.
may her soul rest in peace.
yes….sweet peace.
It is true that everyone dies, and we never know how many days we have. Your poem shows the feeling of loss we may feel even when a person living on the rim of our lives passes on unexpectedly. Somehow a serious illness or death of a doctor seems like it shouldn’t happen. After all, it is they who give their lives to extend the lives of others. Blessings to you…
And we are blessed that these professionals made this their life choice in the name of helping and healing others or bringing new life into the world as was the case here. Thank you for your insight.
Each day should be cherished and celebrated to the fullest…it is sad when it takes a death of someone we know to remnd us of that…enjoy the glow of the day my friend.
You are so, so right and that positive spirit of daily celebration will carry us far in this life. Thank you for these words and for calling me, “friend”, my friend, Charles.