At Summer’s End

I stare at the stranger in bed
Withered and broken
A shadow of the woman she once was
Shallow breaths rise and fall
In a once radiant spirit
Now stifled beneath a starched white sheet

I kneel beside her
And stumble through sentences
In an effort to convey
An affection beyond words
An illuminating inspiration
That defines who I am

Cherished childhood memories
Cascade over me
Through a lavender breeze
As the scent of caramel rolls
And pictures on patterned paper
Drift through my thoughts

Loving pale blue eyes open
And tenderly meet my gaze
As a soft soothing smile
Forms on her lips
Silently speaking devotion
Through a heartfelt goodbye

Eyelids gently close
Heavy with exhaustion
Before the steady rise and fall
Stops
And she looks peaceful
For the first time in years