Felt so helpless and bereft.
Holding the hand of a young woman
telling her she had dementia.
Though she is physically healthy
And has done everything right
She ate her greens and also exercised.
She still is beaten
Is it genes or is it the trauma
That life bestowed on her
How do you console someone
While saying you are losing yourself
Your mind, your relations
And the life as you know it.
There is no turning back
Because we have failed to find a cure
What is happening?
Why it is happening?
Why did it choose you?
You who have faced many hardships and heartbreaks
Thought this was it.
This is my time to retire
Catch my breath
Relax and enjoy what I have earned
The wisdom of all that I learned
A house, a grandchild or that loving pet
That dream is now gone
Replaced by a nightmare
The court deems you incompetent
Now you need 24-hour supervision and care
What despair?
How will it repair?
How do I hold my tears back to wipe yours!
Words sound hollow.
That it would be alright
As I place you in memory care
And you sit in wait
Diminish and disappear.
Bit by bit every day.
It indeed
Is a hard day
For both
you and me
As I say goodbye to you
And wake up tomorrow
To tell another soul
As a provider
I too am losing this battle
Every day.
