The Man With the Sunken Eyes
The man with the sunken eyes
Sits in his worn brown chair
On maple court.
He sinks down into the chair
Sharing an understanding with the object
That this is only temporary.
He wears fear beneath his sadness,
Sallow skin and cracked lips.
Two crumbs from the last attempt at a meal
Now rest on the edge of his chin.
He shares words with the world
That couldn't be conjured within the illusion
Of "reality"
A teacher, a coach, a husband...
He was.
Now his time is spent
Battling for one more day
One more conversation
One more touch
One more breath.
As the black and white house cat enters the room
A weak smile appears.
He talks bravely about his final wishes:
Cardboard container for the cremation,
Catholic mass, riverside cemetery.
Ashes to ashes
Dust to dust
His lover is on the brink of overflowing.
She strokes his back gently,
Fetches him a glass of lukewarm water
While the arrangements are completed.
He signs documents
And writes checks
In his last hour.
The cat sits calmly in the corner
Licking the evening rain off its coat.
-Sahara Farrugio
