It was hard
Straining to hear your words
Trying to keep a conversation, not just a monologue
Trying to fill that sterile, silent room
With life and sound and joy

It was hard
Seeing your strong hands
Always creating, building, giving
Growing inescapably weaker
Noticing the windows of coherency
Moments of quips and quirks
Growing inescapably shorter

It was a lot harder
Waking up
and with a breath of bitter
melancholy relief
Finding 5 missed calls