Dream Poem by Elizabeth Castleberry

I woke up to the shrill cry
And answered it
To hear a weak sigh:
I love you. Click.
Silence.
My body understood
But my mind was too dense.
I stumbled to my car,
Heart racing but mind still slow,
Whip around the corner,
Not far to go.
Fade out....
Fade in just inside the door.
The stairs I've climbed too many times,
Wounds so deep they make me sore.
I made the second call
And did all I could to wait
For the lights or reality to arrive,
Depending on his fate.
Faster faster...losing him...
Beep fast Beep slow. Stabilize!
Can't stop the flow!
Fear and acceptance in his eyes

Hours later in a room cold and stale,
Panic and dizziness seem unreal.
Now exhaustion and relief make me pale.
He reaches out to touch my hand.
Through his eyes his smile weakly beams
As he gestures with his scarred arms,
Inviting me into his dreams.