Life Support

By Wendiann Alfieri

“Life Support”

She doesn’t know

She’s sitting there

While everyone is silent

Looking at machines and buttons

They discuss the options

Looming over them

“Maybe we should wait, don’t pull the plug just yet”

“she’s...she might wake up there is a chance…”

“ Don’t take the chance, would you rather her pass now, or pass when your at home making dinner, when she’s all alone not even knowing she’s been struggling and she could have been free from pain years ago, but we wanted to keep her for selfish reasons”

“It’d be selfish to kill her when there’s still a chance”

“I love her, i really really do I can’t lose her, she can’t lose us, she’ll be alone in death that we caused or life that she can’t participate in”

Hours of this, as the family sits wondering

Thinking about the time her uncle taught her how to tie her shoes

Or about the time she fell and that little kitten ran over to her and soon she was surrounded by little kittens

She wanted all of them and she got a kitten

She loved her family for letting her have such simple joy

She couldn’t always find it on her own

They took her from a mental hell

And loved her like she couldn’t love herself

And no matter how angry she got

They were not mad

And no matter how caring and loving she was

They were still sad

She’d suffered, but she was able to find peace

She was able to get on her feet

Until the accident

That now rendered her almost lifeless

The family talked once more, deciding to let her go

They all stood around her

And said their last goodbyes

With the tears running down their faces

And they couldn’t turn away

But in memory she never fades

If you love someone let them go

But they can’t always let go of you