Embedded Files
The following poem first appeared in Geppo XLIX:2 February–April 2024, page 12, and was selected for commentary in the following issue, XLIX:3 May–July 2024, page 25. The poem was written in March of 2014, shortly after my dad died. My mother died in April of 2023.
silent hospice—
mum shaves dad’s face
for the last time
Life begins, life ends, that’s what it’s all about. Still, there are moments that mark our soul, our universe—touch, grooming, so basic to our existence.
—Roger Abe
Ministering to a loved one in their last hour is one of the most profound acts we perform as human beings. And those acts, no matter how simple, are potent touchstones that will live in us and be vividly remembered for the rest of our lives.
—Patricia J. Machmiller
“For the last time” can be read as a shaving after his passing. When my mother passed away in a nursing home, everything was carried out in silence; the facility did not want other people on the same floor to feel death close by. “Silent” has a heavy sound.
—Emiko Miyashita
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse