He is my cousin,
My aunt's only son,
Clever, eight years elder than me.
Close-knit families,
Grew up seeing him,
I look up to him as a good man.
He's a math teacher,
Married with two kids,
Lovely kids, he lives happy life.
I work overseas,
See him when I'm back,
We always have a lot to talk.
I make routine call,
Told, he got a stroke,
Mum says 'the stroke is serious'.
He's only fifty,
Kids are in uni,
He's on long medical leave.
I've arrived back home,
I go to see him,
Paralysis, right side, his strong side.
Years past, with a crutch,
Confines himself home,
He takes early medical retirement.
He's been on treatment,
But not improving,
Right arm and leg are a lot smaller.
He's now sixty six,
Again, I'm back home,
As usual, I pay
Him a warm visit.
He's alone at home,
We chat as usual,
Then, out of the blue,
Looking sad, he says,
'Living is no longer meaningful for me.'
Welcome, 'new poet' Wei, to this site. I wonder if 'passed' would be more correct in stanza 5. : )
Thanks for the comment and feedback, Aufie. Health is one of the most important pillar of life.
Thought provoking write. To help or to need help. Living a life of meaning or a life of depending on others. Loneliness. I pray and wish for your cousin that he finds again some meaning
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
I've read more, and 16 years have PASSED I see. Last line seems to fit his situation. I wonder if there is a therapy available to him to help him cope better.
You are right. Thanks for the correction.