A gentle death (was delivering news), Rev 1

[mlund]

Silent sentries flank the long hall,
faces averted, their disposition clouded.
In the middle plays the youngest
of her family, fourth maybe the fifth generation;This line just seems very out of of place. Maybe omit the last two lines of this stanza and join the first three lines with the next stanza
I am unsure.

The laugh, skip, dance even mere yards
from where she lay dying.

Small, awkward but undaunted as
I cannot hold the inexorable; 
I cross to her room.

Even more are here, older,
packed tight, embers that surround
her with their warmth
as hers lessens.I like this idea, that they are keeping her warm and safe, as she must be very scared

Her husband sits by her head,
his gaze fixed, uncertain, hand
tight on his cane.
Beside is the empty chair
for me.

Her eyes of nearly ninety years
soften as I hold her black hand in my white hand,I again am not sure how this line fits in with the poem as a whole. Maybe talk about holding her cold hand in your warm hand? The differentiation between races seems odd at this moment
and anchor myself.  Relief comes as I hold
her and her husband in my mind, 
all others receding dimly.  I disclose
what she already knows.
They all do.

Sooner than expected 
she becomes still.  Her hand in mine yet,
I tell her husband
"She has passed".
Looking nowhere, eyes empty -- he asks no one
"And now what will I do?"

I reach inside but find
nothing
except that which does not grow back,
leaving me less than I was. 
Forward I must grow -- as forward I turn to go.

The children continue to play 
in the warm dappled sunlight I really like the word "dappled" but maybe not in this context
filtered through the paneled window.

She has her victory.  Her calm
inscrutable wisdom not lost
but manifest in all those who 
surround, accept and forgive 
and comfort even me.
There does not seem to be much of an ending to the poem as a whole. It is very abrupt and does not sum up what I feel you are trying to get at

[quick note:  this was brought to mind by an earlier poem (that seems to have disappeared) that was about giving negative news.]