I miss the you
you used to be
before your mind
took flight from me,
before dementia
had its way,
painting your world
in bleakest gray.
Where is the fragrance
that you wore,
or stories of
the world war
that took your loved one
from your side
leaving you widowed
alone, with child?
You still speak of
the love you found
a few years later
the second time round.
“The heart has room.”
you used to say,
“for second loves
and better days.”
Where is the joy
you brought to each—
your family and friends,
all those within reach
who found in you
both wisdom and grace?
You opened your heart,
with a smile on your face.
Do you remember
the parties you threw,
the mess the day after,
the hangovers, too?
The strength you found
when you joined AA?
Gratitude flooded
your life from that day.
I miss the you
you used to be.
I want you back,
I want you free.
I spent much of my nursing career working with patients who had dementia. This poem, written in the 2nd person, is a response to the prompt over at dVerse.
This is very much a first draft and I welcome your critique.
I hope you’ll join us at the Poetry Pub where, today, I’m honored to be tending the bar.
Photo Source: geripal.com Photographer not specified.
Victoria C. Slotto, Author 