She Smiled is a short poem written by Kelli J. Gavin and shared with The Ugly Writers under theme Begin Again.
A short poem about the last time I saw my mom smile.
She smiled more near the end
Not sure if she was aware
Was she smiling because
She didn’t know what to say
Or because she was listening
Her words became few
Her breathing became labored
Her smiles then became fewer
Her eyelashes fluttered
She knew we were there
Her eyes didn’t open
But she would hold my hand
When I said goodbye
One final time
I saw the corners
Of her lips turn upward
One final smile
Extended to me
How thankful I am
That she smiled near the end
Read more from Kelli J Gavin by visiting her website here and Tiktok or by checking out her previous write-ups here at The Ugly Writers.
