to die alone

to die alone

now the moments shorten as the shadows lengthen
hold each gasping breath the struggle to live longer
time senses of proportion even as doubts strengthen
in sight of impending death while the ghosts hunger
alone in an empty quiet room but for a lingering rasp
as an imaginary heart beats and futile thoughts reach
to wilted flowers lost of bloom fingers no longer grasp
an edge of the soiled sheets no one there to beseech
blind eyes searching about deaf ears are now hearing
the last scent from a last love tickles memory’s edge
prayers uttered by the devout inspired by the fearing
being abandoned by god above divided by the wedge
a door locked to friend and foe a key carefully hidden
with no time to mend or know an end comes unbidden