Guessing Breaths
The longest-haired son filmed
his father’s last hour
without pause
then gathered us around the iPhone
to marvel at how a pulsing Adam’s apple
stills.
Doctor’s claim: Pain.
Drowning in his own saliva.
But we, small family,
can only guess his last breaths: a song
hiccupping heavens? Four breaths, five breaths —
gone. We keep to ourselves
this quiet, hand-held footage.
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