Mourning

She clasped her grandmother's hand in hers,

stunned by the weakness and frailty

of the skinny fingers.

Machines beeped in the sanitary hospital room.

The words 'Palliative Care'

Crisp on the walls.

A sob was wrenched from her mother's throat

And she watched the first tear drop

Many would soon follow.

Wetness coated her own cheeks in silence

Unable to disrupt the mourning

Despite the life beside them.

That night her father came to get her from the dreary room

And her mother urged her to go and said,

"Grandma won't pass if you're here."

She offered a weak smile, knowing her grandpa was there

In spirit for both her mom and grandma

And she walked away willingly.

In the middle of the night, she woke to heartbreak

And knew her grandma had left this world.

A happy soul now gone forever.

Cries echoed down the hallway when her mother returned

And she wiped away her own sorrows to put on her face.

A warrior's mask to support her mom

And fight her demons with her.