Soul Friend
In a peaceful, still, lowly-lit room
Lies a gentle man,
A stranger to me,
Who, by choice,
Had the ventilator
That assisted his trach’ed breathing,
Removed …
An act of both courage and sensibility.
He now rests tranquilly,
Away from intensive care
In a private room
Having accepted
And now allowing
The natural, gradual, slow release
Of worn out and challenged
Basic life-holding body systems.
Presence is what I offer.
Unconditional acceptance,
Deep respect,
Compassionate caring.
Our unspoken connection
Rises from the heart.
Within moments,
As I settle in sitting close to him,
He becomes a soul-friend.