What I Know About Alzheimer's

[LorettaYoung]

I’ve always wondered
when father dreamed,
whether he remembered the names
of his grandchildren, whether he ever
left a path and wandered away,
yet was able to return,
even in a pouring rain

He’s buried now with a playground
beside his cemetery, with a headstone
etched in name and numbers so others
will remember, even if he couldn’t

His last years were sand, a gift
to be taken away; Alzheimer’s
was how his distance widened,
how the voices and names moved
farther and farther away

Sometimes, when I watched him,
I wondered whether he was ashamed
that he had been dreaming at all

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Hi 71: You have some great advice, I agree strongly about "did" he remember instead of whether, and in S2 possibly "did he remember the grand kid's names". Otherwise, I think it is very well done. I have had such patients, and in time, peoples emotions change to wondering instead of trauma; you expressed that wondering well. Best Loretta