There’s a lump in my throat

In more ways than one

Above my epiglottis

Near the bottom of my tongue

It’s an unfamiliar presense

That wasn’t there before

Putting weight on my esophagus

Shaking me to my core

I poke and prod and ponder

What this mystery lump might be

And it sinks down to my stomach

As the answer comes to me

I imagine IV fluids

Pumping through the bruised up vien

Of a pale exhausted woman

In unspeakably deep pain

From the bed she cannot move from

As the laughter leaves her eyes

Like the hairs that fell like raindrops

Out of radiating skies

I imagine how her family

Holds her hand through every tear

Praying constantly to not be forced

To live their greatest fear

And the casket in the churchouse

Where their daughter, sister, wife

Rests at last, her broken body

Ascended from her tortured life

There’s a lump in my throat

The nurse calls my name

As I stand up to go,

I swallow my shame

All I have now is hope

And these words that I wrote

To lessen the blow

Of the lump in my throat

Editing to add: this is my 300th writing on this app!! Insane! I cannot believe I’ve written that much