One Last Touch

Mom was sleeping in her bed,
we knew the end was near.
Although she knew that death would come,
she had no cause for fear.

For Mom had lived a wondrous life,
with joys and heartaches both.
It seems each challenge raised the bar
promoting faith and growth.

As she progressed throughout the years,
her courage slowly grew.
She stood her ground with confidence
with everyone she knew.

For setting boundaries was a task
which challenged her for years.
And yet, she raised a family,
despite her pain and tears.

Mom gained her independence
on the night my father died.
Although it was traumatic then,
I don’t know if she cried.

She loved my Dad, but he had been
ignored when just a child.
He graduated high school,
then things got a little wild.

His college years didn’t go so well,
but still he worked quite hard,
and when, one night, he met my Mom,
he couldn’t let down his guard.

A deep fear of rejection
played a part in all he did —
those memories which haunted him
when he was just a kid.

Despite it all, my parents lived
a mostly happy life.
They lived together peacefully
avoiding useless strife. 

I know Dad did the best he could
despite his limitations.
He put forth effort every day
to meet his obligations.

And when he died, my Mother knew
that things wouldn’t be the same.
She learned to thrive, not just survive,
but never placed the blame…

on Dad, for he’d provided
all we needed to get by.
His dedication to my Mom
I simply can’t deny. 

And then one August evening
in twenty twenty-two,
I sat beside my Mother’s bed
and tried to talk her through…

the doorway she’d been waiting to
pass through for several years.
I knew it was her time to go.
My eyes were filled with tears.

I held her hand so tenderly,
as she had once held mine.
I squeezed it gently now and then
to give a little sign…

that all her kids and grandkids
knew it was her time to go;
and that we loved and cared for her.
Her breathing was so slow.

I said goodnight, and knew quite well
that this might be “Goodbye.”
She lived to see another day.
I’m sure she wondered why.

That afternoon, she entered Heaven,
this I know for sure.
For anyone who loved so much,
there could be no detour.

It’s been three years since Mom passed on,
and still she’s in my heart.
I think about her every day
although we are apart.

Her portrait on my office wall
reminds me of her love.
I know she’s watching over me
from Heaven up above.

©kmc2025