by Sarah Priest
To the many I have met.
For all the unspoken words
That keep me awake at night
And wish that I had said.
For all the seeds I have planted
Watered, nurtured, watched them grow
Watched them wither and some I have eaten.
For all the films I have seen
Too many to mention
And for all those still to come
I wait in anticipation.
For all the poems I have read
That touch my heart
The sadness, the joy
The human part of life.
For all the days that are gone
And for all the days yet to come
I wish I could have understood
The world my mother lived in.
Forever Lost
I wish for life
In a vacant face
Does she know me
Deep down inside
Or am I erased
From her mind
Like I was never born?
A one-sided story
More fiction than fact
I cannot reminisce
Laugh at the good old days
Watching her daily
Wanting to escape
To a world only she knows.
I wish I could take her there
To see a familiar face
A familiar place
And watch her smile
To imagine where she is
Fills me with dread
There’s no escape
Forever lost
In the maze of her mind.
I’ve Lost My Mum to Dementia
I’ve lost my mum to Dementia
Three years and counting
Living with her constantly
Watching her struggle.
I miss her treacle puddings
Apple pies and sponges
I miss our chats
Her over-anxious mind.
I miss the family gatherings
When we had Uncle Leon for tea
We’d sit in the garden
Till the sun had gone behind the trees.
I miss her artistic flair
The cakes and flowers she made
I miss all the Christmas fayre
And the table nicely laid.
I miss her more than ever
As the weeks roll into one
She has no life, she’s lost her mind
I cry inside at night.
Knowing she has gone
Knowing she will never come back
What a horrible and cruel way
To live the last years of one’s life.