The wind buffeted the window
The sea roared in the dark
And I dreamed……
Of nursing a dying man
An artist
Once tall and colourful of mind
Now shrunken and grey, his vision fading
I dipped a cotton bud into
A glass of merlot
And touched it to his lips…
So he could know crimson
And then crushed blueberries
Lime, and ripe apricots for gold
The raw umber, liquorice and aniseed
The taste of death
Was already on his tongue
And as each loved one visited their farewell
He asked them to place one pill in his hand
When they had gone
I gave him water
And he swallowed them
He told me they tasted
Of sunshine on his face
Of glorious sunsets and cool pale dawn
Of warmth, love and freedom
Of joy
And peace
And sweet release
COLLEEN CATES
Ruakaka, NZ
Colleen Cates says: “When I wrote this poem, the news was full of the euthanasia bill debate; I was attending a painting class; and I had nursed my son who passed away from cancer nine years before, and was dealing with ongoing grief. The dream was a combination of what was happening in my life mixed together with the magic of the mind in sleep.” Colleen’s lyrical expression powerfully conveys varied emotions and the two coalesce to create a visceral portrait of a man reaching the end of his life. We taste the blueberries and lime and feel the glow of the sunshine she describes, and the relief when ultimately, his suffering ends.
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