Lives Slip Silently By

Another resident passed away this week. She had so many similarities to my mother, being in one class ahead of her at Sharon. She was one, hard to talk to. Bitterness overcame her and finding or giving peace elusive. She fought her aids and often wailed, "I'm going to die here." I only wish now, I had known what was in the obituary, as another life slips silently by:

Lives Slip Silently By

By

Mollie Lyon

 Lives slip silently by.

Who knows what's

Behind that hollow eye,

In dark recesses

Lie past successes.

Gray heads bent

Troubles for a time lent.

We can't see them now

Under that vacant brow.

A sketchy obituary

Read in the paper

Tells some of the story,

But then it's late to know.

We can't reach in.

Sometimes we can't begin.

No one around to start the story

And we find out too late

The story trapped

Behind a precious one's fate.