THE FOLLOWING POEM WAS SELECTED IN WINGWORD POETRY PRIZE 2023 LONGLIST.
Goodbyes are always awkward, even upsetting,
But there is always a hope of another meeting.
Losing someone to death is heart-breaking,
Years of a relationship, come down crumbling,
There is no hope left, only a treasure trove of memories,
The final goodbye is painful and is the toughest of all adieus.
Gradually though, time heals the pain of the inevitable loss,
Death gives a sense of closure and memories carry you across.
This, though gut-wrenching, is the truth of our lifecycle,
Those who are born will pass on, there can be no denial.
But how does one cope with the loss of a living person,
Afflicted by a disease that causes mental deterioration.
Slowly the memory fades, the person lives in a fuzzy delirium,
Everything you meant to each other gets tossed into oblivion.
Wiping a slate clean to start afresh is a very good thing,
Wiping clean the memory, however, just turns your life into nothing.
A life full of loving and nurturing, crying and laughing,
Turns to dust, if you can’t recount them in the passing.
Thinking and reasoning become strenuous and take a toll,
It challenges a person to the core, their very soul.
Their life may or may not have been a walk in the park,
But it was theirs, built with dedication and hard work.
Unsure of their fate, they went on, giving their best shot,
They did it to make sure their loved ones were never in a spot.
It’s just not fair then, to be meted out such a fate,
Everything they worked for, goes out the gate.
Disasters, upsets, and bad people they survived,
Of a happy retired life, how can they be deprived?
Their body stays alive but their brain has lived out its lifespan,
Every day is a new day for them as if their life just began.
Love, care, and patience will be the daily ingredients,
While we make efforts to slow down the degeneration,
How do we imprint ourselves in their imagination,
To sweeten their otherwise mundane existence?
And, when do we say goodbye to such loved ones? And how?
Without causing anxiety; and distress, we cannot allow.
How and when do we accept this loss,
A loss where we cannot ever say adios?
We can’t say it when they are even a little aware,
And once the threshold is crossed, they could barely care.
When finally, their last breath is released,
Their physical form rests in peace,
Hadn’t we lost them already?
Was this not the inevitable eventuality?
Death would bring closure to the end of their being,
The pain of never saying goodbye will forever sting!