RETIREMENT, THE END

He loved his high school sweetheart,
then served his time in Vietnam.
He raised his son and daughter
and was loyal to Uncle Sam.

Thirty-five years on the assembly line
and now the time had come,
to finally enjoy retirement
by moving south to a new home.

They were happy in their little condo.
They had owned it for several years,
but moving away from their two children
brought more than happy tears.

The first year was all they'd dreamed of,
sunshine, swimming, cruises and golf.
Then one day he didn't feel so well.
Something was most definitely off.

The doctor listened to every word
and ordered a battery of tests.
All they could do was sit, wait,
and hope for the very best.

The best wasn't what they got,
the scary word was 'cancer'.
They both had lots of questions,
to which they got few answers.

The journey began with surgery.
Weight loss and sickness followed.
But there were both determined,
and sad words were just not allowed.

The second year passed,
but they knew there'd not be another.
They knew that soon he'd be joining
both his father and his mother.

During their hours alone,
they talked about their life.
He said he was tired, ready to go
and could never have had a better wife.

During that last week-end
of his far too-short life,
his sisters and brothers came
offering comfort to him and his wife.

He asked for his children,
his daughter and his son.
He wanted one last fatherly chat
before his days were all done.

The son arrived first with a lump in his throat.
He said, "Son, I know you're a good man.
Take care of your mom.
In everything, do the best you can."

The daughter arrived with tears in her eyes,
as she said, "I'm here for you, Dad."
She gave his cold limp hand a squeeze
but all he managed was to whisper, "I'm glad."

The home was deathly quiet,
the hospice nurse standing by.
The man's breath grew shallow,
and he gave one last long sigh.

In the blink of an eye he was gone,
but in his 59 years he'd seen so much.
He was loved by many people.
Many lives had he touched.

The end is never easy,
when the man you love is leaving.
For all those left behind,
there seems no end to the grieving.

Rest in peace, good man.
You'll suffer pain no more.
We'll see you again some day
when we knock on Heaven's door.