A Dying Brain
Do you recall how I was once your fire?
And we, a regal cloud of unity
Meandering through the closing blues of night,
Commanding stars to glitter;
Dawn to blush?
Your answer comes in ever-blanking stares:
A wall that blocks the know,
Damping down the glow that used to emanate
From clear and lucid eyes.
They've lost the will to recognize.
But hear! We are fifty years together -
And once we writhed in pleasure -
Drowning in emotion,
That which was our prime.
You don't recall.
You only lie as vegetation
Scattered on the ground:
A living mound of flesh,
Devoid of any neural mesh
To let you say 'I'm sound.'
Don't worry Dear,
For I'm aware with memory!
I'll tell you how we were.
We have our right of history!
If you could just concur.
Copyright Mark R Slaughter 2009
Do you recall how I was once your fire?
And we, a regal cloud of unity
Meandering through the closing blues of night,
Commanding stars to glitter;
Dawn to blush?
Your answer comes in ever-blanking stares:
A wall that blocks the know,
Damping down the glow that used to emanate
From clear and lucid eyes.
They've lost the will to recognize.
But hear! We are fifty years together -
And once we writhed in pleasure -
Drowning in emotion,
That which was our prime.
You don't recall.
You only lie as vegetation
Scattered on the ground:
A living mound of flesh,
Devoid of any neural mesh
To let you say 'I'm sound.'
Don't worry Dear,
For I'm aware with memory!
I'll tell you how we were.
We have our right of history!
If you could just concur.
Copyright Mark R Slaughter 2009
Beautiful and sad. Your tender image is perfect. I'm moved.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jonie! :)
ReplyDeleteSad in fact, but your image shows love. The two are not always opposed.
ReplyDeleteThat's such a poignant poem and so full of love, thank you Barbara.
ReplyDeleteSo moving and beautiful. Very sad that this happens and we have not figured out how to stop it......:(
ReplyDeleteOh my! Lovely, poignant and sad both the image and poem. Nicely put together with the beautiful frame and in hue of pink for love. I think of this song..."I'll remember you.... Will you remember me?"
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Montucky,Kate, Neva, and Anna.
ReplyDeleteYes, the poem is very sad and heartbreaking. I thought of showing an image of dying then decided--No. This is a poem of love, not death.
Wow,powerful...
ReplyDeleteThank you, Nancy!
ReplyDeleteHi BBB
ReplyDeleteThanks again for another marriage of your fitting images to my poems. Further to one of your comments, I tried to explore the restrained frustrations of a man desperate to cling on to his wife of many years, almost refusing to except that he is losing her - first through mind ...
My thanks again for your brilliant image and I hope you continue to use my poems
Kind regards
Mark R Slaughter
c/o poemhunter
Thank you,Mark!
ReplyDeleteI feel honored to have found your poem and able to use it. I worked in ElderCare for many years and was exposed to dementia/ Alzheimer victims and their families. I am caring for my own Mother, now, and she is just showing the beginnings of dementia.
It seems to be harder on the families than it is on the victim.. It is a very frustrating, heartbreaking time for the families to go through.
If this poem was based on your personal experience, I am so sorry for that.
To the bone with searing hurt one must feel at such a situation. Mark, your poem... wow!!!
ReplyDeleteBarbara what an excellent job of image and poem combination to create an overall feel you must carry from such work. You displayed it well. Fantastic job.
Thank you so much Preston! I appreciate your comments. :)
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. One of life's most beautiful things is to witness a husband or wife lovingly and tenderly care for a spouse with dementia. You have captured that image so well. Sad, but to me there is as much beauty in it as there is sadness.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you so much, Kateri! Nice of you to stop by! :)
ReplyDelete