It's getting to the point where I know and hear about more people coming down with dementia. It's concerning. But having dealt with friends and relatives who have experienced this in their own lives, I decided to write a poem about the issue.
Here it is.
The New Land
There comes a
time it's hard to rhyme,
No longer can
we reason,
We fail to find
peace of mind,
Clear thoughts are
out of season.
Memories are like the breeze,
They touch, they light, they fly,
Together we made some memories,
On that we could rely.
But the loss is
clear, as is the fear,
Memories no
longer there,
No sense of
when, what would have been,
Or why it was,
or where.
Who people
were, him and her,
No longer we remember,
Paths we've taken, now forsaken,
Our minds a
dying ember.
You may deem
that some things seem,
Little
different than before,
But to me, each day I see,
A new world to
explore.
From my point
of view, all things are new,
I may seem out of touch,
Wondering just what's the cause,
Of why you care so much.
Mystery surrounds me,
A familiar face? But no,
Yesterday I was okay,
But today, not quite so.
So what’s in store? Each day there’s
more,
New foods full of flavor,
New friends to meet, new things to eat,
New things to see and savor.
And once again, we can befriend,
Each other day by day,
No longer doubt or feel odd about,
Each going our separate way.
So don’t feel sad or even mad,
That I don’t remember you.
Just introduce yourself each day,
And together we’ll see this through.
What and who may matter not,
As long as we survive,
Each day I stand in this new land,
And feel it's good to be alive.
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