Two Poems

An excerpt from Two Poems:

I shave him each day with shaving cream and a
Safety razor, cutting carefully around the
Surgical tape that holds the oxygen

Against his face. His face is fallen and his skin
Is wrinkled but very soft. I am careful not to cut him.
That is not to say I never cut him.
Love is not perfect.
I pull the skin tight under his neck and sometimes
Shave him twice, hoping it will help make him
Comfortable in his deep dream of life.
At other times I sit in the chair beside his bed
And read to him.

I have no mother, husband or children
To take away my time.
I have a job I need to keep.
It may only be for a few more days I am told
And then they will unplug him.
He will gather up his soul around him like a coat
And smiling to himself at his own simple humor
Leave without saying a single word,
As if that were the point of everything.