Cardiac Arrest

By Magdalyn Sebastian

Cardiac Arrest
Cardiac what?
Words scribbled across a line -
Cause of death: Cardiac Arrest.

Where is the story of her life?
Where does it say that
she played horseshoes “with the men;”
she played piano;
she told bawdy jokes.

Where does it say that
she loved to cook
stroganoff and
three-layered spice cake and
bean soup and
lemon meringue pie and
Hungarian goulash

Where does it say that
she crocheted blankets of love for grandchildren;
she went to Bible Study;
she liked to drive fast;
she played Scrabble;
she liked to “gab with the girls.”

Where does it say that
her heart was damaged
when her mother died;
when her father succumbed to illness;
when her boys went to war;
when her husband withered away from cancer;
when her babies moved away.

What line on the form tells about the years of
smoking
accomplishment
worry
joy
diabetes
loneliness
pride

How can the form detail
the cascade begun
by age
by hard times
by good times
by life

that led

to slowing down
to reflection
to illness
to death.

Cardiac Arrest?
Cause of Death: Life.

Top of Page