For Ellen – my friend in hospice

 

I wrote a poem

I started writing it
I wanted to write it
It came out of my mouth
From the perspective of my friend

My friend I just met five days ago
My friend I had known forever within an hour
I still don’t know all that much about her
But I know everything

I said a poem to her out loud the other day
She said thank you for that gift
I said I wish I had recorded it
I tried to write it down
But I didn’t remember it
Because it came from deep inside

I was writing it from her perspective
Because that’s how it came out
I said that’s weird
I can’t write this poem about having cancer
Cause I didn’t have it and I don’t have it
So I can’t say “I” when writing the poem and speak as if it was her
But that’s what came out

And I said I’m going to try to remember
What I thought I might write
When I said it to her
I tried to record it again
I wanted to save it
But I don’t need to save it
I don’t need to remember all the words
Because no one needed to hear it
But her

It was a moment in time