Poised with poison
I don that invisible black hood.
A promise ripens as my father’s time nears:
in his living room
I will keep him from dying in horror.

At last I find
that the loss of the life
of the man who gave me mine
must embody my mind
and body taking merciless action
to give actionable
mercy.

At last
in these final moments
I must kill his undying will
to gasp that
one
last
torturous
breath.

To end his suffocation
I rise.
I beg him
to let go.

I hold his hand.
His cool grip loosens.
But I feel his warmth.
That unmistakable love.