Gradual journey of loss

Some routines which were considered a task, suddenly go away

Every weekend, finding time out of your relaxed space to go and meet that person

That lunch en route,

Picking a sweet from the next shop and taking an ice cream for that person

Hands shaky not able to remove the ice cream cover

But heart happy while licking and savoring every bite

Sitting and talking for a few hours

Endless pain and weakness gradually reducing that to an hour

Standing at the gate till we turn and go away

Changing into we wishing goodbye while asleep and coming away.

Calls every day to check on us

Turning into a call every few days and on that our getting angry.

That first frightening emergency,

To constant hospital visits and always coming back home till the last one.

Years of happiness, joy, sadness, anxiety in a person

Washed away slowly

Is it painful to lose a person suddenly

Or live with the person as they suffer and let them fade away gently….