Dying Slowly by Your Side

You do not complete me, that is my work to do
You are a great source of joy and happiness
And I love you
I recall us so many years ago
Discussing how we would love each other
Until death
Being young we were unaware that
Death is a long running process
That death is a thousand small deaths
Each an opportunity that many take
To exercise an option and end the deal
We, you and me
We made different choices
Again
And again
And again
We continue to chose to do the hard work
One thing we got right those many years ago
That you and I must do our own work
If we are to have any chance of us
So you do not complete me
But I am motivated to do my work
Often because of my desire to continue
Dying slowly by your side

Randy Roberts 2/19/18