Condolences

Condolences 

When your dad was dying in hospice 
You told me that
You wanted no empty condolences 
When he died. 

When he died
I texted you back 
Your dad died,
Thinking that stating the bare fact
Was better than saying 
I was sorry,
Which we’d agreed
Was a stupid thing to say,
There being no reason to apologize.

You haven’t spoken to me since.

Maybe when you said that
You wanted no condolences,
You meant you didn’t want them
But needed them
And assumed I would know this
And send them anyway.

Now that our friendship has died,
I am writing to say that
I am so sorry 
For our loss.