love and Alzheimer’s

A shell now embodies who she was
The oyster barren
Where once there held a pearl
Harvested too soon
The game of hide and seek
I search for someone
Who doesn’t know she’s lost
I am a bystander who
Holds the moments of clarity
The laughter, conversation
Witnessing the changes as the minutes tick by

Those of us called the care warriors
Have a larger role than most
Not just tending to the physical
But the mental side as well
We hold what is said inside
Words that can splinter our souls
Blazoned in our memories
They mix with words of love
That we once heard
Before the journey began

So many difficult moments
Our hearts stretched in every way
Dealing with accusations or insults
Telling ourselves this is not them
The disease thats taken them from us
The disease that sees them change
But blood is thicker than water
And love is thicker than blood
So we’ll walk the journey with them
From beginning to the end

Mum