Sleeping Sweetly

The new mother rocked her baby gently,
As he fell asleep and dreamed great dreams,
She could tell the baby was happy,
Because he smiled in his sleep.

That baby grew so fast,
Reaching his teenage years,
Attitudes and fights he put her through,
No longer was he her innocent boy,

But nights she could not sleep,
She would sneak into his room silently,
Disconnected when he was awake,
But in his sleep he told her everything.

She knew if he was happy,
Having troubles with his grades,
But soon those years will pass,
And he no longer lives at home.

A Widowed mother all alone,
But soon he got cancer,
And all treatment failed,
Hospital days and nights he lived,

His mother sat by his side,
Watching her only child slowly die.
Memories of rocking him to sleep,
His cancer is beyond the doctors help,

His final days were counting down,
His last wish was to go to his mothers home,
She took care of him again,
Just like when he was a little boy.

She could not tell how long he was going to last,
Or how much pain he held in,
He would not show it on his face,
He would not tell her in words,

At night she snuck into his room,
Looking for answers she needed to know,
The answer shattered her lonely heart,
As she knelt down and held his hand tight,

She could see the breathing of his chest,
As she began to whisper in his ear,
“Dear child when you were little,
I would watch you sleep in darkness,

Even when you were a teenage boy,
It was the only way you would communicate.
I knew that you were happy,
Because of the smile and laugh you gave,

I knew when you needed advice,
Because you asked questions through out the night,
I knew when you were angry,
When you held your fist tight,

I knew when you held fear,
Because you shook and needed me,
But dear child I saw a new face,
That I can only describe as pain.

You are holding on because of me,
But I will never forget you honey,
And as a mother I wish you to live,
But a mother should understand,

Her son should live pain free,
This you hold is too much,
No one can help you through,
And I will always love you,

But I want you to know,
It is ok to let go,”
As these words she whispered sweet,
Her son died silently in his sleep.