One last breath


sleeping in shallow breaths
at the end of the day
slowly pillowing the ether
the ebbs and flows of taking the air
that fault and start with the heart's rhythm
beats and drifts into silence

rattle the calcium cages
rasp and fault er
white sheets crumble and fall under the strain
stillness prevails again to recuperate
in dark moments fear laces the tongue

What was once born screaming stands in stilled sleep
the drum summons one last rally
as the cage lifts and falls again
machines set to keep the pace
but the waxen doll is done

One last brave effort to catch the wind
the drum beat surrenders
and with a gentle sprawl the solace of air
empties from the sleeping form
with an oxygen depleted hunger and starved
the last breath whispers away

Till white and blue the paper lips
wizened and whithered
silver hair out stretched on hospital sheets
composed in the dawn of death.
then gone with a lack of fresh oxygen
a sense of grief a sadness clings to the air
but lost in an empty room
none can a test to be that last witness