I was reading Psalm 88 last night and these words in v12 caught my
attention. I know too many people who have fathers or mothers who have been
diagnosed with dementia or something like it. A horrible disease that strips
away all that really matters in life – the connections we make with one
another. I wrote this poem years ago. It came to mind as I thought about the
land of forgetfulness.
Dementia
She was
mugged
Not in broad
daylight
Not watched
By the
unblinking eye
Of a CTV
camera
No grainy
pictures
Of
unidentifiable yobs
Snatching a
handbag
And pushing
her to knees
Leaving her
trembling
She was
mugged
Not on a
crowded street
Where people
pretend
It's not
their business
And hide
behind
Carrier bags
and trolleys
And only
after it's safe
Do they
reach out
To help her
back to her feet
Leaving her
shaken
She was
mugged
In the
safety of her own home
No balled up
fists
Or snarling
threats
Just the
silent destruction
Of neurons
and pathways
In the brain
The
relentless dismantling
Of memories
and thoughts
Leaving her
confused
Now she sits
in a nursing home
Folded in a
red chair
Frantically
picking
At a blanket
that covers
Her knees
Blue clouded
eyes
Searching
for familiar landmarks
The lines
erased
Between then
and now
Leaving her
adrift
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