By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077

We shared an eclipse,
Once in a lifetime
The light fails to shine when it should be shining,
We all laugh at the idiosyncrasy of hoping for a cloudless day
on a day momentarily synonymous with night,
Yet such is the cosmic wrong of the moment,
Indisputable observations of
Birds stilling their song
Insects cease their chirp and
Humans stare
Our primitive ancestors
Watch from modern eyes.

One day I will have my
Once in a lifetime moment,
Yet no stranger will stop what they are doing
No birds will cease to sing.
I ask only one thing
Please don’t look,
I wish to be remembered in the light
Don’t watch my eclipse.

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