The Look on His Face That Said Everything

It seems to me, he knew better
than to tell me
he felt down, or depressed,
or more like death, perhaps ..
So instead,
he compromised and said,
he felt sad, knowing I guess
that I would relate
to such a non-clinical stance
as that and since
sad required no intervention
except for the
passing of time and maybe
the birth of a smile or two ..
Today though,
for some reason, I feel as sad
as when my father
told me he felt sad, just before
saying his final goodbyes ..
I could tell he was
sad and not anxious or fearful,
by the look he
had in those tired hazel eyes ..
When he told me
that he loved me dearly
and tried so damn hard
to forge that very last smile ..