So Long
When he was called, he was ready.
He had been waiting so long.
His navy slacks, black belt
Button-down shirt and blazer,
Resplendent with his retirement pin were
Hanging in his bedroom closet.
When the moment came though, he felt
Rushed and there was no time
To change from the pullover and slip on
Pants, that barely hid the tube forever
Draining coffee, juice and ensure.
He seemed to be sitting on the edge of his
Bed when the bell rang.
He tried to stand and he found
His legs had weakened from being
Left in that wheeled chair for so long.
He looked through the window to a garden
That he did not recognize and he tried to
Remember what this place was and
How he had gotten here.
Platitudes about time and safety
Flashed like an overused commercial
Before his eyes.
“Enough”, he said.
“She has been waiting too long”.
He smoothed his collar and stood,
Saying with a smile,
“So long”.
Teresa Gauthier is a recently retired nurse. She is exploring her passion for poetry. She was thrilled to have her poem, "Hummingbird," selected for the 2024 Kitsap County Ars Poetica. This poem, along with "Seal Pup," was published in the Spring/Summer 2024 edition of The Islander, the Literary and Arts journal of Anderson Island, Washington.
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