See You Later
My parents died when I was quite young. When my Mum died, she spent two weeks on a life-support machine, and we, (my sister Debbie, my brother Stephen, and me,) had time to say goodbye to her. With Dad, it was a different story. One minute he was there, the next, gone. No time for goodbyes. I can’t believe how cross I felt at my Dad for leaving so suddenly. It was Good Friday, and we had big plans for Easter. It just happened to be April Fools day, too. My uncle Tom had only died six weeks previously, and my Grandmother three weeks previously, and I wasn’t emotionally prepared for another loss. Especially not my Dad, (or Pop, as we all called him.) But it was the paramedics who made me really angry. They said, "We got him back three times, but he didn’t want to stay!" What a stupid thing for them to say. He was our Dad; why wouldn’t he want to stay with us? Of course, I realise now that that’s the sort of thing that all medical people say. You know, things like, "We did everything we could!" It makes it sound as if the person chose to die. At his funeral, I couldn’t bring myself to say Goodbye, to my Pop, but a few weeks later, I was able to write this for him, and I think that he has now forgiven me for being cross with him. If you need help in saying goodbye to someone, let me write you something that will hopefully give you some words of comfort.
See You Later.
By Amanda Jay Clark.
"Hello Dad, it’s
me, how ya doin’?"
I asked you last night on the phone.
"I’m Fine," you said, in a hurry,
I could tell you had plans of your own.
"Where are you off too," I asked full of enthusiasm.
"No time to talk, love," you said.
You were anxious to get to the football match.
By nine the next day, you were dead.
I knew something tragic had happened,
When I saw Deb & Phill at the door.
But, when I heard their words give confirmation,
I sank like a rock to the floor.
No time for goodbye, or a fond farewell,
You were gone in the tick of the clock.
Leaving us grieving, and shattered.
No way to deal with the shock.
Did you have to choose April Fools Day,
To leave the mortal world behind?
The ultimate practical joke, eh Dad?
Well, it seemed a bit unkind.
Especially since the paramedics,
Had an interesting thing to say.
"We managed to get him back three times,
But he didn’t want to stay."
They made it sound that you chose to die.
That wasn’t the case, was it Dad?
Didn’t you love us enough to try harder?
Was life with us really that bad?
Yes, I know what I’m asking sounds stupid,
It’s something that all medical people do.
They say, "We did everything possible,
So the blame for your death rests with you."
I know how much you loved us, Dad,
But their words made me so irate.
They made me question your loyalties,
As if you had chosen your own sad fate.
You’d be so cross if you knew how angry I felt,
When I thought you chose death over us.
But we’ll forgive each other when we next meet,
It’ll be something for us to discuss.
So, I’m not gonna tell you goodbye, Dad,
Cos it’s what you didn’t have time to say.
I’ll just say, "See you later,"
When we’re reunited on Judgement Day.
See You Later, is protected
by copyright, and remains the property of the author, Amanda Jay
Clark.