icu

Alone and not alone,
the sound of tears, crying, wailing,
the sound of the holding on
to what is no longer there

We sat around the bed
around the body
around the flesh without life
we touched it
held it
squeezing tightly
hoping she would feel it
hoping she would return
knowing that she wouldn’t

And there we were
together
all of us
alone and not alone
holding each other
not holding each other

holding on
trying to hold onto her–
she who left us together
alone.