Liftoff Poem by Michael Burch

Liftoff
by Michael R. Burch

for my father, Paul Ray Burch, Jr.

I see the longing for departure gleam
in his still-keen eye,
and I understand his desire
to test this last wind, like those late autumn leaves
with nothing left to cling to...

I wrote this poem for my father when he chose to enter hospice and end his life by not taking dialysis any longer. It was a courageous decision that involved considerable discomfort and suffering because euthanasia is not an option where we live. Morphine helped ease the worst pain, but still we could tell that dad was feeling the toll of approaching death. I hope one day the patient will be able to decide how she/he exits life, not a heartless government or people imposing their religious beliefs on others. Keywords/Tags: Hospice, Hospital, Euthanasia, Suicide, Terminal, Exit, Liftoff, Free Fall, Free Falling, Illness, Ailment, Pain, Suffering, Despair, End Stage, Death, Departure, Father, Son, Father and Son