Dementia (Grandmother)

A poem I wrote about my Grandmother, who is suffering from Dementia

She’s trapped within her own mind,

Walking through memories as if she were living then anew.

Shuffling through the dark recesses of long ago,

While her grasp on the present slips more and more.

Her mind is her enemy, losing her place in the current,

Making her a dependent once again.

Her life belongs to the past, childish innocence

In a time-weathered body.

Everything she has yet to be turned to ash,

Forfeit in the natural order. Her life has ended, yet still she lives on.

Control escapes her, relinquishing her command

Over even the basic of human existence.

As each day passes onto the next, so does another bit of her.

She’s become something she was never meant to be.

She’s become another person, someone new, even to her.

And soon, not even the past will be hers to hold onto.

Author's Note

Let me know what you think. General thoughts or more involved would be great. I want to improve my writing, so anything will help.

Reviews

[bob, small b. aka invs]

my foster mother is suffering from alzheimer's as well. you've summed it up quite well here. it's so sad to see a person you remember as vital and self confident and in charge have it all slip away. i like the way you presented this. stated simply and matter-of-fact-ly. without being overly dramatic. the subject itself is dramatic enough. well done.