I will love you for the rest of my life, Feel your hair against my cheek, cascading Over my shoulder, the brush of your lips The warmth of your breath, whispering Tender words I needed to hear, my wife. In white coats and somber countenances They brought the worst of my nightmares “Ten months,” they said, “with treatments Less without...perhaps five” our experiences. You accepted your fate; I never saw you cry Two years now since you quietly slipped away And I miss you more with each passing day. SECOND PLACE WINNER Revised April 22, 2021 For "Grief" Contest Sponsored by Line Gautier