Mother died today
Guess there’s nothing left to say
Except that she fought the fight
Struggled to breathe throughout the night
Morning came and she lay still
Heart pumping just above nil

A plastic tube below her nose
Brought precious oxygen through a hose
A permanent fixture the last seven years
Despite her protest and tears
A proud woman who remained brave
To live and share another day

I shall not forget her last breath
As she succumbed to inevitable death
A smile appeared upon her lips
As the monitor held on to one last blip
The doctor carefully removed the tube
Expressed his sorrow for what we knew

Mother held her children tight
As we hugged throughout the night
An epiphany for those now left
That even mothers cannot cheat death
I’ll always remember her cheerful smile
Though she stayed for only a while