ELIZABETH SMITHER

 

Last week of a life

 
Together, you and your spirit and you 
made the arrangements while time 
ran down in the way of flesh 
that is coming unloose. 
 
Outwardly almost the same: your hands 
wore your rings, your ankles held the swelling in 
your voice just slightly fainter asked 
and was concerned for friends 
 
to whom you spoke rationed words, remembering 
each in their uniqueness, their life 
while they were coming to see you 
who had turned wholly and utterly gift. 
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Elizabeth Smither was awarded the Prime Minister’s Award for Literary Achievement in Poetry, 2008. Her most recent collections are The Year of Adverbs (AUP, 2007) and Horse playing the accordion (ahadada press, 2007).‘

Last week of a life’ (which turned out not to be the last week at all) was written for a friend, Viv Bone, known as Fox 2 (Elizabeth was Fox 1) who died with great gallantry and concern for her friends after a brief illness.

 

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