Bronwyn Wade-Gill
When a man loves a woman
he places a wedding band
on trembling anticipating fingers
Now thirty years ago...
confetti, white veils and silk
Now, the same wedding band
swallowed by edema
lies resting, trembling with fear and exhaustion, on a white bed
Her fingertips slowly turning a dusky gray
fading as dawn shades the room
Thin gold glasses, delicately rest on the tip of her nose
framing gray blue eyes
How they once sparkled...
They yearned, shared life
memories and experiences dancing through their lenses
Bright and hopeful
Now
they ache
leak
Tears slowly rolling
down the sides of their sunken cheeks
As she fades
her body sinks further into the bed
weak, barely alive
giving into the abyss and unknown
She fought hard after all
she was valiant
As she always was...
Always graceful
gracious
humble
Now
In an echoey hospital room
this woman
a frail frame of skin and bones
engulfed by a cotton johnny
a ghost of her previous self
barely moved
A faithful husband
An always friend
sits next to her hospital bed
When a man loves a woman
He holds her hand
gently pressing her fingers to his lips
a tenderness in his breath as he smiles and nods to her
"Darling," he says with his eyes
"go on, you can rest now"
He moves her over gently in the bed
Lying next to her
cradling her body into his chest
sharing their last moments
She sighs softly
her eyes flittering open and closed
His eyes soft and loving
locked on hers
until her eyes close one last time
He repositions the glasses back over her face
Tucking a few strands of hair back behind her ears
kisses her forehead
her lips
her cheeks
her wedding band
Intertwined one last time
he lets nightfall consume the room
allowing comfort in the darkness
that now masks his sorrow and tears
When a man loves a woman
