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What I Will Miss and What I Will Not Miss When I Am Near Death: A List Poem

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2022

Paul Rousseau Open the ORCID record for Paul Rousseau [Opens in a new window]
Paul Rousseau*
Affiliation:
Palliative Care, Charleston, SC
*
Author for correspondence: Paul Rousseau, 1541 Wakendaw Road, Mount Pleasant, Charleston, SC 29464, USA. E-mail: palliativedoctor@aol.com
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Information

Type
Poetry
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 20 , Issue 6 , December 2022 , pp. 915
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

As patients near the end of their lives, they often reflect on their legacy, and what they will miss and what they will not miss. As a physician tending to the dying, their stories roused me to write what I will miss and what I will not miss when I myself am near death.

I will miss:
Dogs
My daughters
Tomorrows
Being alive
The stillness just before sunrise
The chirp of the first morning bird
The first snow
Mountains
The Grand Canyon
The desert
The smell of the desert after a rain
Animals in their natural habitats
Driving on a newfound rural road
Hot showers on chilly days
A full moon
Seashells on the beach
Maple syrup
Waffles
Bananas
Doughnuts
Cupcakes
Dogs
I will not miss:
Sickness
Suffering
Worry
Stress
Expectations
Loved ones’ deaths
Visits to the dentist
Sick animals
War
Mass shootings
Poverty
Racism
Hate
Greed
Arrogance
Abuse
Prostate exams
Colonoscopies
Poor vision
Bad dreams
Lies
Money

I am the sole author of this poem and have no conflicts of interest.