I’m participating in NaPoWriMo (National Poetry Writing Month). I’m writing a poem a day for the month of April and posting it here on my blog to share. Go to NaPoWriMo.net for more details and to view many more participating poets.
I Know Who You Are, When You Don’t
The look of recognition fades
Worry crosses your face
It’s confusing to see me this way
Familiar, but with an aged mask
Your memory tells you I’m small
Still a child whose hand you hold
I know who I am when you don’t
Far away, that look in your eyes
Are you seeing into the past?
Visions of people and places
Where you remember being last
What year is this, what month or day
Wasn’t it summer yesterday?
I know when you are when you don’t
Hands fidget nervously
Somehow, you think, you know me
Look around, strange surroundings
Why have I brought you here?
You long for home, but no longer
Understand home is right here
I know where you are when you don’t
I squeeze your hand, you pat it
Eyes close and body relax
May you dream happy remembrance
Far away from anxieties
Though confusion, your existence
Feel my love, calm and safety
Here with me because I love you
I know you are loved when you don’t
When you wake we’ll look at old pictures
Remember those people you love
We’ll sing Sinatra and tap feet
To rhythm, you’ll smile again
Your eyes will crinkle and sparkle
Now there is the person I know
I know who you are when you don’t
View my NaPoWriMo 2023 page for all poems I’ve written for National Poetry Writing Month.
“I know who you are when you don’t” Yes, This.
Thank you for reading. So hard to watch a loved one lose their memories. They lose who they are along with them. But we can keep loving them and be memory holders for them.