She Came Back
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Late in autumn;
before winter's advent,
she came back,
weaker, yet stronger
than she'd been.
From the sterile
confines of hospital beds,
numerous x-rays,
lab tests counting
numbers I didn't understand,
from operating rooms,
IV and NG tubes,
monitor leads and oxygen prongs,
from therapy,
she came back --
she danced a fragile dance,
but Death let her live.
My twin soul, a survivor
in the strongest sense
of what that word means.
Thank You, God,
for giving her back to me.
For letting her be my Christmas
present, for letting her come home.
For answered prayer.
What more could I ask for?

(c) 2006, Karla Dorman.  (12/7)

Crisis
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My world, collapsed
in a storm of sobbing;
eyes,  flash flooded with tears;
straight-line winds of sorrow;
tornadoes striking terror
into the heart:
she almost died today.
My twin soul, uprooted
by skyrocketing blood pressure,
ripping the roof off
of my comfort:
Death came prowling.
The foundation of my
darkest nightmare exposed
in negative images and
poor prognosis of
frightening reality:
trembling; shaking.
She almost died today.
But now, she lays on
sheets nearly as white
as her, sound asleep;
stable lines trace her
life on monitor screens;
she sleeps; she lives.
Tested to the endurance
of faith and endurance,
I hear, "Breathe. Peace.
She will not die today."
Thank God.

(c) 2006, Karla Dorman.  (11/15)