Who knows?

[Colm Roe]

Other world events cancelled his 90th party,
his on-off 'exits' are courtesy of either
a life well lived, or
a fearful reluctance to go.

His mother left at 93,
an extended departure
as she desperately clung to life.
So reduced, the sheets barely registered her presence,
yet so obdurate.

Years later I wondered why
such a God-loving woman wouldn't want
to go quicker to Him.

He's become a drift between states
lucid, a child, or infections plaything as he
speaks in tongues,
or asks why nobody visits; and we all visit so often.

He too was a religious man,
has no reason to fear the final judgement,
any Rapture would lift his good soul straight up.

With no quality of life
can't walk, eat or drink anything,
and a declining interest in God...or anything
he clings, like his mother.

I hope it's not to another chance
to live the life he wanted...the life
he should have lived.

[penguin]

Enjoyed the poem, recognisable characters. I just felt the ending slightly disappointing, a bit too vague. 

So reduced, the sheets barely registered her presence,
yet so obdurate. 
You don't need that 2nd line, you've already said she's desperately clinging. 
Other world events  - you could specify

[Colm Roe]

Enjoyed the poem, recognisable characters. I just felt the ending slightly disappointing, a bit too vague. 
You've actually nailed how I feel about the N (my father), a lovely man. To give you an example, every time a doctor asks him how he is he always says 'I'm grand!' when he clearly isn't. He's spent his whole life putting all of his family before himself. And he's a very private man
So reduced, the sheets barely registered her presence,
yet so obdurate. 
You don't need that 2nd line, you've already said she's desperately clinging. 
Agreed.
Other world events  - you could specify
This referred to the Covid restrictions, but maybe the plural is confusing...I'll think more on this.

Thanks for your appreciation and comments Ray

[Dave]

It is a strong and important theme that anyone can relate to. I am sure you have done it before and sorry to say and better. This is a bit too direct and close to prose. It lacks the kind of arresting images you can excel at. It also takes a while to get going - 3rd stanza for me. In particular, the last stanza I found very awkward to read with the preposition hanging in the middle of the first line so far from its verb cling in the stanza before. Took me a while to connect. Then again maybe it is just me.
Dave