He said, “Am I dying?”
She said, “Do you pray?”
He said, “I know now I lay me...........
please don’t go away” -
He said,
“Will you hold my hand?”
“Yes”, she said
and climbed into the bed.

And when you think about it,
he was just a young man-child
whose last moments would be spent
as she cuddled him and smiled;
to him, she was the only one -
to her, he’s one of many -
Now, picturing their faces -
she really can’t see any.
But when she said that child-like prayer
and knew that he was gone -
the simple words stayed with her
and helped her carry on.

©Christina Sharik
March 2000