Sunken Awake

Ashen sunken
eyes awake slowly
from morphine haze
"it relieves the anxiety to breath"

from time to time
he screams "i can't breathe"
and i say "you're breathing now"

he remembers his father, "a financial genius" he says
he is the kindly man with the pipe in the painting
"it hangs above my bed"
each word slow
he was always good to me and he is calling me home

come wuickly he said
i won't last long
don't leave yet
you'll have to wait

he said,
i am just too tired
i am just too tired
i am ready to go
i am scared

head drops
struggles to move
i am ready to go