Still in There

I know he’s still in there;
His face is still the same.
The only difference is
He can’t remember my name.
But what’s in a name
Should I really care?
For the love we shared
Will always be there.

I know he’s still in there
Behind shining blue eyes,
When he sees a family member
There’s the same happy smile,
But he’s not the same,
 The man he was is gone,
As he waves to the neighbors
And he shuffles ‘cross the lawn

 

The Couple

They once were a couple
My Mom and my Dad
Now as they sit and hold hands
She holds the memories he had
He’s in the same house he’s been in for years
But now as a stranger with confusion and fear
Yet now and again, he will look in her eyes
And remember a trivet from the past that’s gone by
And just for that moment, he’s back by her side
And her heart fills with warmth, sadness, love and pride

 

Nursing Home Halls

They wander the halls
Their eyes far away
They don’t know who you are
Or what day is today
In a world of their own
Right in front of your eyes
Every now and then
Stopping in to say “hi”

All poems by Judy Paglia