The Last Goodbye

When sickness pauses life and stops the breath,

And brings us close to that long sleep of death,

Our beating heart brings back the days gone by,

And wishes for the dreams we left to die.

At that last hour, when nothing else remains,

And zero counts the riches and the pains,

We only want one look, one gentle word,

From that one person who our spirit stirred.

Our poor, sad heart knows well it cannot speak,

Too tired now to find what it would seek;

It feels so sorry, and the tears fall down,

Without a word, without a smile or frown.

No hands to wave, no final words are said—

Just one small tear upon the quiet bed,

Rolling gently from the corner of the eye,

To say the softest, and the last, goodbye.