villanelle

Pulling sheets over hospital beds,
And cleaning out bottles and pores,
You press loving hands on heads.

Thought life had offered you ways to wed
The world not so close to others’ sores;
Pulling sheets over hospital beds

Seems to be what is needed for the dead.
And all the time you may have in store
You press loving hands on heads.

Hands don’t forget their way over heads.
Hands take gentle strokes and keep score;
Pulling sheets over hospital beds…

Don’t rush the days you clothe her bed.
We need you here to help us more:
You press loving hands on heads,

Even when we have lost our head
You have kept her smiling more.
Pulling sheets over hospital beds,
You’ve eased our way of approaching the dead.

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