Amanda's father
My father,
Clever man
Maker of things beautiful and strong
My father
Could fix it all
Except his own health
Myelofibrosis corroded everything but his mind
And his indomitable heart
My father
Uncomforted by the world
Trapped in a prism of distress
His moribund body unable to walk, to sit, to stretch out
For month upon month upon month
My father
Had had enough
Said his goodbyes
Could endure no longer
We knew it would come
That shot
Ringing across the island
The recoil knocked us all out of focus
I hear its echoes every day
But never begrudge the release it brought
Amanda Collins, 2015