Spirit flutes

I was the one who drove my Dad to the Emergency Room, the last one to have a conversation with him.

A gentle heads up- this poem and the inspiration behind it explore themes of grief, death, and unexpected loss. If this theme is not right for you at this moment, please feel free to come back another time or skip this post.

I was the one who drove my Dad to the Emergency Room, the last one to have a conversation with him. A gift and sometimes, a curse. I’ve replayed those moments over and over, a scene I wish had a different ending. Driving to pick him up, his slow walk to the car, how empty the deck looked in the middle of December.

We spoke of ordinary things. His interest in all things Native American. My planned road trip to the desert (that never happened). I played Spirit Flutes, one of our favorite cd’s to help us both stay calm, give us hope.

We didn’t know then how bad it was.