Don't Sleep-Don't Rest

In the first weeks and months after Mother died, I had a lot sleepless nights. Many times I'd grab a pen and paper and jot down little things I remembered from the time Mother spent in hospice. They were things that I didn't want to forget. Things that I one day would want to write about. Just getting the idea down on paper helped me to relax enough to sleep. All these months later I am finally starting to write about some of the things I jotted down. Some nights I needed to get more than an idea down. On those nights, words and emotions flowed out of my pen. I stuck those writings away and just pulled them out tonight.

Following is something I wrote on one of those nights.

Don't Sleep-Don't Rest
For Death is fast approaching-
Each moment you are asleep
is one less moment of our time together-
I need every minute, every second now
to learn every tiny thing I never before
thought to ask-
All too soon you will be gone-
Please stay awake-
I never before realized
how precious every moment was
Don't Sleep-Don't Rest
Stay with me a while longer.