You Gave Me Life When There Was None

Dedicated to my soul mate

You gave me life when there was none, Took me in your heart where Nothing could harm me. My world was your world, And yours mine.

What existed Beyond this bond of deep affection — Where waves of hurt and Loneliness Crashed against The sea wall of Our impenetrable devotion — Mattered not.

The stormy ocean of daily travails Could not demolish This wall of attachment.

Though fractures appeared Over the years, Mutual love filled the cracks.

With backs now bent As age advances, We reminisce on time spent; How days and decades came and went In poignant dances.

Sometimes we soared, Other times dipped, tripped, slipped; Sensed the other losing grip, Then would roar — Muster the troops of conviction This would pass — Then laugh and cry.

When each crisis dies, Beyond words We understand Our unending adoration Can withstand whatever Life throws our way.

In the silence we smile. Hold hands While our souls chant Mantras of eternal romance.

Backstory

In the early days of our romance, my soul mate saved my life when I was 35 — less than half my current age.

Without his perseverance, I wouldn’t be here today.

On a Friday evening, a GP made a house call and said it was food poisoning, but by midnight, hubby suspected it was something far worse. On Saturday, he transported me to a hospital where they admitted me for one night, gave me a Valium drip to make me sleep, then discharged me on Sunday morning.

After that, the time frames and sequence of events are fuzzy, as I was delirious by then. My future husband drove my weak body to another hospital where, as he related to me, the doctor on duty in Emergency immediately called in a specialist.

All I remember is being wheeled along a hospital corridor on a bed, with the lights flashing past overhead.

When I finally awoke, the surgeon who had operated on me said, “That was close.” My appendix had burst over 48 hours prior to his removing the pesky thing. Severe peritonitis had caused my torso to swell like a balloon.

My soul mate gave me life.

In turn, I gave him life when he suffered a stroke in late January this year.

Similar scenario — the ambulance fetched him. The hospital kept him overnight at the hospital and discharged him the next morning. He couldn’t walk, think, or talk coherently. Without my perseverance, he wouldn’t have recovered to the extent he has.

On Sunday 30 January, I published my first story of the year here, relating what had happened — a welcome emotional release. This wonderful community rallied round with much-needed support.

These two live-saving incidents became the inspiration for this poem.

I leave you with our favorite version of this romantic song:

Thank you for being here.