hospice

Hospice
—for Kristin Troka/Jackie McLaughlin

After cancer made a meal of her
she died in the arms
of Morpheus…

her green eyes wide open.

If you know grief you know love.

The body needs to be honored,
the eyes must be closed.

Prepare the body for fire.
First, disconnect all the tubes—
the oxygen, the urinary catheter, the morphine pump.
Wash and perfume the body. Dress her
in her favorite dress, no pearls,
before she becomes stiff.

Her eyes, however, will not close…

in the movies
a person in charge
simply waves the palm of their hand
downward over the eyes and the eyes always close.
But here, in the real world of our home, my gesture fails.
I keep failing. I have failed to keep her alive.

A lifetime of memories begins to flow…
please help me, please help me close her eyes.