Soapbox

Sisters of Mercy

For Larry- still with us, just no longer in the room.

In the silence left by the absence
of that labored breathing
which had marked their time
for so many hours,
they wring their soft cloths in warm basins
redolent with frankincense
and farewell.

To the darkest hour of night
they bring the warmth of candlelight
and soft murmurs of reassurance
to ears that can no longer hear them.
They wash and dress his frail form
with exacting tenderness,
as if such movements
could still cause the pain they once did.

With this final act of service
they restore a measure of dignity to a life
whose skills and knowledge, so joyfully accumulated,
were slowly, mercilessly scoured away
until nothing remained
of that which made him who he was
but a ready smile
and the bright soul behind it.

As they comb his hair
and lay him for a final time on clean sheets,
a soft sigh escapes pale lips
as if in relief at reaching
such a long journey’s end.