December 29th, 2022
The Transition
She entered the final epilogue of
a physical being mired in pain.
A mind immersed in grief
longing to be anywhere but in
its present state of being,
a slow, conscious and unconscious descent.
Having to let go without being in her presence before
taking that last breath
left me with a deep and raw sadness.
Along with a heavy dose of guilt
that had been living off the
perceived expectations lodged in my mind.
Assumptions associated with being the eldest daughter.
That same guilt I sheltered
driving away waving and watching
her in my rear view mirror.
She was standing alone in the driveway
of a home I was moving
from to a new chapter in my life.
All the while longing for the
previous chapter in her own life before dad died.
The desertion on her face etched hauntingly in my soul.
