Alzheimer, That Thief

Down the Rhine
everything’s fine
pass the Lorelei
Auf Wiedersehen.

A birthday voyage
across the sea.
A happy marriage
and family.

Babies’ first steps
of ups and downs
across the depths
of the lost and found

Birthday gifts
from loving lips
holding hands
and wedding bands

Searching cards for celebrating dates
matching faces and their fates
living movies in her mind
playing back chimes in time

Wedding’s 50 anniversary
children, grandchildren, locked-in memories
still treasures of her mind
still precious in her mind

All Alzheimer’s now, that thief.
Nowhere in the well of her mind
overflowing now with grief
Nothing in the well can she find.

All these years
not knowing a goodbye
All these years
not hearing I love you

Ben Gieske