What belongs to us?
Not the sky, though our eyes fly to it
many times a day,
for beauty, for inspiration, for hope.
many times a day,
for beauty, for inspiration, for hope.
Not the earth, brown and humble and mothering,
though it forms a platform for our feet
and keeps us standing.
though it forms a platform for our feet
and keeps us standing.
Not the trees, breathing peace and oxygen,
removing carbon dioxide and human toxins
from our struggling bodies.
removing carbon dioxide and human toxins
from our struggling bodies.
Not each other, for we live and die alone,
though love is threaded through the generations,
and weaves a tapestry between our hearts
and every other.
though love is threaded through the generations,
and weaves a tapestry between our hearts
and every other.
Not the dreams we dreamed,
that got replaced by other dreams,
which turned out to be the right dreams
after all.
that got replaced by other dreams,
which turned out to be the right dreams
after all.
Not every item in my small rooms,
gathered with love, which will be scattered
when I move to a hospital and only need
a comb and toothbrush.
(Goodbye, all my wolves!)
gathered with love, which will be scattered
when I move to a hospital and only need
a comb and toothbrush.
(Goodbye, all my wolves!)
What belongs to us? What do we
take with us on this long journey
to the end of things?
take with us on this long journey
to the end of things?
The memories. When we are lying in a bed
in just a hospital nightgown
(please bring me cozy blankets!)
our thoughts will go back to the beginning
and all the way through
this amazing, astonishing, unpredictable
and magical life,
and we will see the signposts
where we were helped and guided
off the wrong paths and onto
the path that is only ours
in just a hospital nightgown
(please bring me cozy blankets!)
our thoughts will go back to the beginning
and all the way through
this amazing, astonishing, unpredictable
and magical life,
and we will see the signposts
where we were helped and guided
off the wrong paths and onto
the path that is only ours
and we will be
grateful, grateful, grateful
for it all.
grateful, grateful, grateful
for it all.
No hospital room for me thanks! My husband begged to be allowed to die at home. I had to say "You can't, because your ex's family will say I can't care for you at home and take you somewhere else if you're not in the hospital where at least your own doctor works." I have no ex-husband so if I need nursing care I consent to it only in my own home. Where I may be sick, but will still be alive. In a hospital I'd be dead even if they forced my heart to keep beating.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder to just be grateful, now always wanting. Native Americans tried to teach us that we can't own the land any more than the air but we are slow learners.
ReplyDeleteSuch a simple, profound truth. All the greed and war and destructions means nothing when we are alone in a hospital room in the winter of our lives... just the memories of kindness. So beautifully said, Sherry.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful, Sherry! In the end we have ONLY our memories!
ReplyDeleteThanks for recognizing that some hospitals are good places. We have a large blanket warmer in ours. People make their living looking after patients, whereas if you stay at home, well i guess you'd have to be rich!
ReplyDelete