On her passing

Her tired, weary eyes strain to see,
and each heavy gasp is filled with fear,
pleading for release yet, 
held captive by loving mourners.
Distant days return, almost a smile,
 she sees the boy, the man,
she reaches, touches his cheek, he smiles,
the scene is broken as life clings to her frail form
and she remembers her pain.
The loved ones kiss and caress, 
unwilling to let her pass to memory,
they whisper in muted tones,
as she breathes a shallower note
her life is ending, her eyes now closed,
the loved one’s tears fall faster, as she fades
and with sweet goodbyes, 
they allow her to fly away.