A Goodbye

I went to visit Charles in the hospital
we had once known each other well
I’d heard he was dying
he knew he was
I didn’t tell him that I did too
it was too difficult

he switched off the game he was watching
and looked into my face
he said, “you know, don’t you”?
I told him that I did

we had some pleasant reminiscences
and an awkward goodbye
as I got up to leave I asked him
“what’s it like to wake up in the morning
knowing you’re going to die?”
then he asked me in return
“what’s it like for you
to wake up in the morning
and pretend that you’re not”?