Pain

When the pain
Comes in my right
Ear I remember from
My childhood lying on a
Cot crying softly waiting for
The pain to go away no 1950s
Antibiotics worked to relieve
Neuralgia nor today I muse
On my later wife’s anger
At herself for her ever
Worsening dementia
Then Alzheimer’s
So stressed she
Hit her ear with
Her small fist
In frustration
As I tried to
Calm her
And now
When
The pain
Comes in my
Ear like a migraine
I think of her pain at
Being less than her best
And the pain lets me connect
With her sorrow to be a
Burden though I tried
To convince her she
Was no burden to
Me she dozed off
Mornings and
Afternoons
While on
Some
Days my
Childhood
Earache from
A knock or blow
Perhaps infection
Made me wish to sleep
As I sat and read holding
My hot mug of tea to my ear
My old man’s tears hidden from
Her after all the tragedies we
Endured over the decades
Friends for life friend in
Need friend in deed
For better or for
Worse so we
Could keep
The pain
Heart
Or ear
Away a
Little longer,
Allow us one more
Smile one more laugh.
I scorn death smile
At pain laugh at
Myself as long
As my mug
Of tea is
Warm.