Hospice Poem by Caroline Bulleck

I kiss your paper thin cheek, then
Memorizing the feel, I kiss it again
Just in case this is the last day
I hug you tightly, in a gentle way
afraid of breaking your skin-and-bone frame
You used to be so strong, you're not the same
I watch you wither away a little more
With every breath you struggle for
The more you forget everyday
The further from me you fade away
I hate the hiss of the oxygen machine
Hate more the silence of that future scene
I see you suffering, I wish it wasn't so
But please, please, don't yet go