constructing poetry

five days

they gave us five whole days
to say goodbye,
long hours standing
by his cradle,
long minutes trying
to find words.
sometimes there are no words.
we spent eternities
singing lullabies to ears
that should have heard us.
less than a week
should not last
eons—it should be
so much more than the instants we had.
and when it was finished
and the measured beat of his heart
stilled, that moment
had the potential of a lifetime.
six years later,
I’ve lost the shape of his face,
and I never knew
the sound of his voice
or the music of his laugh—
but within me, the time
we had together
will linger, forever.

line count: 26

Prompt 16 ▶︎

Theme: Time - we all need more, but supposing someone 'gave' you a moment? Pick a period of time: a moment, a quarter of an hour, a day, an hour, decade, eon, month, etc.. What would you/could you do with it? Or maybe when would you get it? Fun or get chore caught up? All sorts of possibilities!

Words to use: your selected amount of time, plus four (min) other units of time. Title your poem your chosen unit of time.
Forbidden words: None today :)
Additional parameters: None