When Death Stopped by At My House

"When quiet shatters its pieces can scar you forever."
~
"Somebody help me.....please call 911!!" a lady cried
banging on my screened entrance in a staccato of fear
yanked brusquely from the normalcy of an ordinary day
I rushed to the front door, to view my whole world awry
for just beyond her panicked eyes, pleading for a solution
I saw a man face down, his whole life at its near finish
upon the end of my driveway. 

In an adrenaline rush
like a weak blood vessel I burst, in a flash of flesh and fear
in stockinged feet, and shoeless, I dashed to his side
and then gasped not only from my haste, but also grasping 
at once the horrible position fate had brought upon me
with no time for indecision, though even heroes are reluctant
hey...I was just a guy who lived behind the place 
where he had fallen, but I knelt to save him


His face was crushed against the asphalt, wrenched to the side
upon its impact, in puddles of his blood and gore
purple and blue...his glasses shattered..he'd hit
with no hands out to stop him, I knew I had to turn him over
but he was stiff, and icy cold, muscles all straining 
still I went on, and when I had him on his back
I saw that he was my nice neighbor, a man who always 
had a smile...except for now...instinct immediately took over
unwilling....still I had to do, all that I could to bring him back
~
His lips and nose awash in blood, across his whole face
it was plastered, his mouth was full too, where I'd soon 
share my life's breath to fill his lungs
~ 
I screamed, "Someone get me a towel, 
a wet rag..just give me a shirt." 
Judy ran to get several dialing a cellphone as she went
a shirt was tossed to me....... a young man
offered his aid from afar, among bystanders standing by me
looking down on this task distasteful, 
I wiped his face inadequately
and bent to wrench him from death's grip, 
pinching his nose
my lips enclosed him, 
a sickly, sticky sense ensued
I blew a long blast deep inside him,
and watched his abdomen arise
on Saturday just before Easter, 
with resurrection not yet here~

his answer was a bloody gurgle, 
which he'd repeat so many times
I turned my face and spit it out, 
then onto his chest I dashed for 5 compressions
while yelling at him to hang on, "Don't die on me...John,.....
just keep fighting." back to that bloody hole demanding 
more air to fill his starving lungs.
~
5 thumps, two breaths, 5 more... then one breath, a rhythmic 
pummeling of death, the world enveloped me in slow-mo
a whole eternity dragged passed me, about 8 long minutes ago
one neighbor took my job compressing, upon John's chest
leaving me free to, concentrate on the copper smelling
gory red exhales that I blew........................
~
Far in the distance I heard sirens, quite faint above 
John's wife's sad cries... she kept on begging us to help him
but I could not look in her eyes, while John....
gave only gurgling sighs..............................
soon expert hands bid me give passage, 
I raised my mottled face and moved, 
just a few feet away, and squatted
I focused on their hurried efforts, 
to stop death as it excised John, 
not one dared put his mouth on John's face, 
they looked at me like I was crazy, 
but they'd come from another place
~
He'd been out jogging and death chased him down, 
it was a pace he couldn't run, 
they loaded him onto a stretcher
still working on him, rubber gloved....but then the ambulance
stood silent...they put him in...and closed the doors
I wiped my mouth and tasted sorrow, 
more failure then ever before
later they left us there all standing, in huddled groups
upon my drive....they took John, but...he'd left already
upon a far more distant ride.
~ 
I filled some buckets with hot water, an hour later
and then washed...the puddle of John's life congealing, 
away from where it had been squashed.
They said his heart attack was massive, 
that even under doctor's expert care
he would have perished in an instant, 
but it brought me so little comfort, 
and painted life much more unfair
the end result betrayed all hope,
and I still see him lying there
four days past when he took his leave.

I made a small cross and erected it, 
quite close to the spot he fell
to let my neighbors know his passing, 
meant something more then tears and grief, 
we'd lost one of our own too early
he'd left us all beyond belief, 
yet still this simple faith filled marker
serves to remind...and bring relief.

"When the quiet shatters, it's pieces can scar you forever."
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Godspeed...John N---lon
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~1947 to 2002
" Jog on through to heavens glory, rest forever in it's shade."

~