Together

I was with you when it happened,
I've waited three years for it.
Although time has a different meaning to me now.

It happened quietly
just as you'd have wanted.
If the neighbor hadn't rung 999
we'd have been together by now.

In our wedding vows
we promised "Till death us do part".
I hated that line.
Why should we let death separate us
when we'd pledged ourselves
so completely to one another.

You laughed at my fears,
promised we'd go together.
The exact same moment,
so neither of us would be left behind.

I believed you then,
I still believe you now.
It's not that you don't keep your promises,
it's just that you were never
very good at time keeping.

They're bringing you in now,
the bang of the doors
as they wheel you past me
through me.
I shiver.
I have never got used to that.

They take you to the emergency room
but there is no emergency.
I could tell them that
so could you.
Although they wouldn't hear us.

You wanted to go,
I saw it in your eyes.
You accepted your fate
even as it occurred.
You've been lonely too
for all these years.

I've watched you go on.
I was so proud of you.
You didn't fall apart,
or break down when I went away
as I'm sure I would have done.

You stayed strong
and carried on.
For me
for the children
and the grandchildren.
We still have our responsibilities.

They have you hooked up to a machine now.
All these men and women
fighting to save a life
neither of us wants saved.

There's a big box
that's beeping by your head.
I suppose that must be your heart rate.
It's not beating much at the moment.

There has never been anyone else for you
since I've been gone.
I am so grateful for that.
I should want you to be happy,
to enjoy life while you can.
Even if it cannot be with me.

But I could never stand seeing
You have spared me this
keep true to me
as we were for all our years together.

The beeping box is making funny noises,
the doctors start panicking.
You have a mask over your face
but I can tell you're not breathing.

It won't be long now.
I can feel you slipping away
coming to join me.
I have waited so long for this day.

I remember our first date,
although we called it courting back then.
You took me to the picture house
although I cannot remember what we saw.

You held my hand
brought me a choc-ice.
When you took me home,
you kissed my cheek
I knew that I would marry you.

The monitor beeps now.
No regular pulses,
just a long drone.
They start frantically to work on you
but you've already gone.
It's only a matter of time now.

I wore a plain white cotton dress.
Nothing fancy,
rationing still held even after the war.
I kept that dress for all our marriage.
You kept it still when I'd gone
to take it out to feel it
smell it and remember me.

It's over now,
they've let you go.
A nurse turns off the beeping monitor,
leaves you in peace at last.

And then you come to me.

You do not rise up from the table
arms outstretched
as if from a Dracula film.

You simply wake up,
to death instead of life.
You get up slowly
more out of confusion that old age.
We do not suffer that any more.

You seem not at all concerned
to see your body remain behind.

You turn then
and see me.

I have watched over you for three long years
heard you talking to me
when I could not answer back.

And now you are here,
with me once more.

You take a step towards me,
unsteady on your feet.
You open your mouth to speak
but I do not give you the chance.
I rush forward,
throw myself into your arms.

You hold me,
so tight.
I fear the breath will leave me completely
then laugh at how silly a thought that is

You are crying.
Holding me
kissing my hair.
My tears match your own.
I have missed you so much.

We are together now,
our wedding vows complete.
Death can not separate us
for we are here,
together in death as in life.

Death is not dark,
or something to fear.
Now we are together
we will make death
as wonderful as our life together.

For now there is nothing but eternity
to ever come between us.