Twilight Falls Poem by Edward Clapham

Twilight falls and night waits while you say your goodbyes,
Possessions in workshop and shed, "stored" whilst you move;
But really gifts to family and never to be seen again,
An artifice to soften the understood message.

Your wife lets go of her past more simply, knowingly -
"I shall not do that again"; looking forward to a
Closing chapter of life in another home, yet anxiously
Aware of night growing impatient at your back.

With sharp wit and the insight that comes from
Watching the shadows lengthen, time accelerating,
Physical decay no longer to be ignored, you confide;
"I have months, I won't see another year".

Quick humour hides the effort of will that keeps you
Active, pausing only to gather strength to be involved;
Eyes dimmed, gait slowed, even beyond festination, to
An unsteady shuffle. I admire your courage.

The conversation turns, as the moment dictates, to happy
Memories of the past, and your grin lights up your face;
We rehearse the performance of Friday evenings, sharing
Aero with the dog, oblivious to any potential harm,
Confident "it's more air than chocolate". And I notice
Your age: where, before, you had the air of agelessness,
Now, "mature" has given way to "old", and for the first time
I think of the feebleness of old age.

I look in my diary for another visit, soon,
And my thoughts dwell on my own mortality.