Was it the angels?
 

In his final hours she pressed his head to her

Breast and wept. Holding him tighter still as his

Chest wheezed and his breathing grew weaker

Was it the angels or was it something higher?

Suddenly his whole life flashed before her

She saw every second of their past life together

High-speed rewind revealing every detail, every

Hiccup, but more than anything else for the first

Time in her life she felt his abiding love for her and

She felt ashamed. Ashamed that she had hurt him

So badly, cheated on him so easily, left him out of

So much of her life. Ashamed too that she hadn't

loved him as she once promised she would

Now his life was nearly over and his story had

Been told. In a complex universe what does one

Life matter? Well, it turns out that all life matters

And amongst this untidy array of pipes, wires,

Monitors and pumps it mattered a great deal

Especially to one person

No hope of going back though. No forgiveness for

Secrets never told. No way he could comprehend her

Tears now even if his eyes could see. She was finally

On her own. Free to be the woman she always

Wanted to be. Free to do as she wished whenever she

Wished. Free but somehow not free, for suddenly her

Much longed for world seemed a little darker, a little

Less certain, a little less attractive

Pressing his head hard to her breast she cried the

Pitiful tears of a new widow. Soon the doctors would

Come and pull her away from a bed that was no

Place for a woman or a wife

The playboy sat outside in his souped-up Subaru

Waited and waited and as the sun rose he called

At casualty to enquire about the lady he'd dropped

Off earlier…

'Oh, she called a cab and left by the side entrance

Hours ago'

© Joseph G Dawson
09/12/2017–27/02/2016