When that last breath is taken

Those moments at the bedside just before someone dies

The last things you hear are the silence and the cries

There is ache that people feel, before having to say goodbye

All the things they want to say, but all they can do is cry

As a hospice nurse I struggle to find the perfect words to say

I want to guide those at the bedside, the ones who wait day after day

I want to help them with their final words, the last words that they might say

I encourage them to say, “the things," to feel and to pray

I believe that people hear every word that is being said

Even when they are lying unresponsive in their bed

It is best to say those important things, way before the end is near

But any chance to say them, it is important for them to hear

When that last breath is taken, and you’ve said your last goodbye

The ribbons of your words, are a gift that can never be untied

Hold in your heart forever, that you gave them the very best farewell

And tucked deep inside your heart

Is the reminder that you loved them well

xo

Gabby

This is a poem I wrote for my book, "At the Bedside."