Beautiful Poem

[adrienurse, LPN]

A Living Will

When they say I cannot

hear you, sing me lullabies

and folk songs, the ones

I sang to you. I will hear them

as an unborn child can hear

its mother's music through

the waters of the womb

When they say I can feel nothing

press your face against my forehead,

rest your hand against my cheek.

I will feel them as the women

at the window feels the wind

outside the glass.

When they say, I'm past

all caring, brush my hair

and braid it in ribbons. I will

know it as the seashells

on my table know

the rhythms of the sea.

When they tell you

to go home, stay with me

if you can. Deep

inside I will be

weeping.

~ Naomi Halparin Spigle

[NurseDennie, BSN, RN]

Oh wow - two poems that made me weep in one day.

Sheesh! This was incredibly beautiful.

Love

Dennie

[night owl]

Absolutely beautiful...thanks for sharing.

[jspigle]

Hi - this poem was written by my mother and published in two books, an anthology called I Am Becoming the Woman I've Wanted, and what I think was a text book on Alzheimer's. If anyone has come across this poem in the latter, I'd really like to know the title of the text book so I can get my hands on a copy. I can be reached at [email protected] . Thanks very much! - judy