The Journeyman

I see you lying there

Hot hands blazing.

You who once breathed for me

Are now breathed for.

You who once provided comfort

Now need what I cannot give.

Your hair, still more than mine,

Is combed but unwashed.

The smell of sweat in every strand.

Procedure unproven, he took your chances

And rolled the dice:

Snake eyes.

Here you are cared for.

But no-one has

Seen your eyes,

Heard your wisdom,

Or laughed at your wit. 

ICU with angels at your side

And the call of the dove

Lost for now in life's rhythmic rasp.

Are you trapped unmoving,

Hearing my every murmured word?

Or dreaming in drugged delirium?

I think you know I've come.

The table is laid for lunch,

The sun is shining;

The phone is ringing.

He takes your coin.

Tails you lose.