Your breathing has worsened
our calls limited to minutes
I say the same things in urgency
you struggle
through ill-fitting dentures
and oxygen mask.
I listen to your every sound
so closely not to miss you
your words mostly lost
in a breath
fallen before it rises.
I am left hanging stomach gnawing
feeling hollow
trying to find something
new to say.
The switch is unfamiliar
you
leaning on me
and my dull conversation.
I muster strength
to deliver empty words
that hit back resounding.
I have fallen into you
still falling
down into your hollow bony frame,
skin draped upon a lungless cage.
I struggle for footage
to rescue you.
……….
Gathered together for the first time in her debut collection ‘dare i be gentle’, Susan Hitching’s poetry twists in breezes you can almost feel as you read. Susan’s words summon the power of rural landscapes, offering the sense of inhaling a breath of fresh, wild air. Buy your copy here: https://tinyurl.com/ycmbtz8s