While Waiting

Justin Lauzon
Contributor
What is the matter?
asked a voice to a dying man.
I do not have long to live, said the
man, and I can no longer be happy.
Why can you not be happy? I have
seen your life, you have lived well. I was able to eat and sleep and remain
safe, but love was torn from me.
Is it that important to you?
Yes.
Then why could you not give it?
I did give it. I gave it to a wonderful woman. But once it left me it was never
returned.
You do not feel another’s love, only
your own. Why should it pain you that
another could not feel it as passionately
as you did?
You are wrong. You can feel another’s love.
It burns wildly as you hold it in
your hands and burns even more when
it’s gone.
And yet you exist in pain.
It is the nature of love.
Yes it is.
Have you ever felt it? asked the man.
I feel it for you.
That is not love, it is pity.
There is no difference.
You speak of a world you do not know.
I know it very well and I know that
there is pity in love.
Then I will live these last moments
with your pity, in the hopes that my love
for her will die.
And this will make you happy?
It will remove the source of my pain.
If it does not make me happy, perhaps I
will still be able to die at ease.
I hope so.
Will you stay?
I must.
And will you stay with her?
I will.
Okay.