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Life Long Friends

For each other they learned to bend,
she was his wife, his very best friend...

and he shot her,
his life for thirty years
protector from himself
he can't stop the flow of tears.

When they met
it was a given
they were meant for each other
for them... a beginning.
So much in love
they were young and alive
and throughout the years
their love never died.

It was hard to believe
there was an obvious change
niether one could handle
her continuous pain.
At first , they denied it
Cancer is just a name
her cries brought them round
his head held in shame.

He wanted to trade places
he would if he could
she was always his reasons
it was for her he'd  been good.

She begged him to free her
he couldn't do it in the end
...and he shot her, with some help
from his life long friend

— themoonman, Aug 21, 2008

About This Poem

About the Author

Region, Country: South Carolina, United States, USA

More from this author

Critiques

D

DarkinAZ

17 years 9 months ago

Wow,

how to avoid prosecution for this, as well as persecution from friends? What a tough decision, one I do not think I would have picked, as there is no humanity found among the splattered matter on the wall, I to would question if my life long friend, was truly a friend at all. Captivating write, disturbing... Mark
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Mark...

thanks for reading.. this was an actual event.. at least that's how it was reported.. may have been 3or4 years ago.. all I can remember is the old man crying on the news.. they didn't follow it up but he was arrested and I never heard how it turned out.. the sight of him was heart-wrenching for me.. he only held the gun.. she pulled the trigger.. anyway thanks for commenting.. Richard
D

DarkinAZ

17 years 9 months ago

Unbelievable!

heartbreaking is quite an understatement. Speechless, Mark
Rett

Rett

17 years 9 months ago

Richard, I remember that story

I sat there and cried. I am not sure what I would do faced with that. My wife is also my best friend and I would do almost anything for her, but I don't know until faced with it if I could. Reliving it through this poem was extremely powerful sir. An absolutely heart wrenching write. Respectfully, Rett: "Life is like a beach. Salty, gritty, somewhat fishy and at other times, downright crabby!" Rett 2008.
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Rett...

I'm glad you remember the story.. when I saw it I was turmoiled with the right to die questions... makes one think.. thanks for commenting... Richard
P

prayersbyPatty

17 years 9 months ago

Wow

This is such a powerful poem. It made me cry. My daughter has cancer and the medicine can make you very sick One time they had to put her in isolation cause even her sweat contained the poison and she could not touch her children. She is in remission now, but its starting to come back. Think I'd find me some dang ole pills.
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Patty...

thank you for commenting... your daughter is lucky to have you there for her in her time of need and I wish for you the strength you will need for the both of you... My wife is my best friend too.. but I think I'd find some pills or something before I'd ask her to do what this poor old soul in this real life story felt he had to do... sometimes life is a sad way to live thank you for your honesty and any time you feel the need to let it out you are welcome to pm me... Richard
P

prayersbyPatty

17 years 9 months ago

Richard

Thanks, did not mean to make this about me, There are plenty of heartache to go around. Thanks for wishing me strength. Sometimes wish we could trade with our kids cause we could take it better, but doesn't work that way. I try to keep it positive and I have a very strong sister who helps me as well as friends. I have set myself in a place to do battle with evil. Lots of times I just don't claim it. Then it sometimes goes away. Patty
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Patty...

I thank you for sharing yourself here and I am in awe of your strength in your situation... glad that your sister and friends are there to help in the harder times... tipping my first cup of coffee to you this morning Patty... Richard
E

easylife_2

17 years 9 months ago

very touching

Somewhat like a coup de grace?Very good and disturbing write. N:B:Richand,I don't get your comments on my writes again and I am beginning to wonder?You don't know how much those comments mean to me.Hoping to hear from you soon.Thanks
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

easylife...

thank you for commenting.. glad you liked it and was disturbed by it... I'm sorry about missing some of your writes.. I work all day and only have a couple of hours here in the afternoon usually.. on the weekend I try to do a marathon at Neo.. but I am surely going to miss some... I will be sure and look for your name.. Richard
Janice Pearce

Janice Pearce

17 years 9 months ago

Life Long Friends

Richard, WOW what a write! I always felt true love would allow someone to do this, but I don't know anymore. Certainly got me to thinking, and that is what good poetry is all about~
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Janice...

this is one I would like to not face ... but it seems we are all touched by tragedy... thanks for that uplifting comment on this one... Richard
tbeaudet

tbeaudet

17 years 9 months ago

Powerful poem

here, Moonman. I seem to remember this tragic story. You captured the story and emotions perfectly. I see a spelling error or two, but a very emotional piece. Tom
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

thanks Tom...

I consider that high praise as I think you yourself are quite the poet.. thanks... Richard
Linda Moses

Linda Moses

17 years 9 months ago

How sad

and you wrote about it so well. Who's to say...?
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Thank you Linda...

I appreciate your words more than I can say... Who's to say... so right.. it is not up to me to judge this man or his wife.. but I sure was touched by their situation... thanks again Richard
Rett

Rett

17 years 9 months ago

Congrats on a well deserved

spotlight my friend. Well done sir, well done! Respectfully, Rett: "If life is a bowl of cherries, why am I in the pits?" Erma Bombeck
Sinbadthesailorman

Sinbadthesailorman

17 years 9 months ago

Brought tears to my eyes I had to come back

I sat in the hospital one night when my mother was on her way to the the other side she wanted,no she begged me to take her life and she knew that I have and did this for at least one other But, battles are quite different I told I could not for her For at the time My sisters where trying to convert her from a life long faith to another which I thought was wrong of them but she was their mother to So I told I would not and I could not intervine because she was unsure where she stood on her faith she live only two more weeks and was very mad at me and did not have my sisters call for me at her last hour a very hurtful thing for me to say but she was confused and when this is done when you help someone along you need to be clear and focus for a very high price might be paid by either party and the other party's guilt is ever lasting Donnie/Sinbad the following day she dicided to go on hocipice means she choose to go home and die and not to fight any more My aunt gave me an altamatum to go to this hocipice meeting or to leave her house and not be welcome to stay there any more well being the hard ass I am and itso facto the stuff I was an going through at the time divorce and a major lawsuit with McDonalds not to mention the fact she begged me all that night before to take her life and the Step Monster too I left so that was a major off set between my aunt and myselfThat I did not choose to go to this meeting we don't see each as before because of it I wish I could have ended here pain and I would have if only I was sure she was firm in her beleifs But I was not Donnie/Sinbad
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Donnie...

thank you for showing me how much this touched you... I have been asked to let someone go too... I couldn't do it but I think his wife did about a month later.. there were no kind of charges not even an investigation as the man was on his deathbed anyway... but I think she helped him cross over... thank you for your response.. Richard
A

Atticus

17 years 9 months ago

extraordinary.....

.......from description to the fall of the words. very well written and even more powerful to all of us to have our lives changed by cancer.
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

thanks...

for reading and commenting... we are all destined to be around death and sickness.. it is part of life.. thank you Atticus... Richard
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Cat...

that is exactly the way I felt when I saw the sad man on the news... thanks Richard
B

barbsdad2003

17 years 9 months ago

A sensitive write ...

on a tough subject. Thanx, Chuck PS: Finally! I've gone to your profile ... and there listed in plain sight? Your titles. But one click brought me here. But I've an appointment to keep. Alas! must leave now. Quickly. Yours as usual, Chuck
whitetea

whitetea

17 years 9 months ago

>

I heard a report like this last year. I talked with a close friend about it, the only difference was the man shot himself after shooting her in the hospital. They were both getting older, and she was dying. I didn't understand it at first, the radio report was so brief that I assumed it was another act of violence. My friend's aunt who hasn't spoken in years was dying in a nursing home then, and he explained to me a little further. It was a sad day, we talked alot of the dying and how hard the limits are when it comes to what we can really do for the ones we love. good piece here, it brought back a lot of memories. thankyou.
themoonman

themoonman

17 years 9 months ago

Well well...

there you are again... I appreciate you reading and getting something out of the poem... when I heard this on the news it floored me.. thank you so much for understanding... Richard