The man I had lost.

White Crane

One of my sons wrote this short but meaningful poem recently.  It brought tears to my eyes as I realized he was writing it about his dad.

The man I had lost stands before me as lost to himself as he is to me.

His smiles are no longer genuine pleasure but rather enigmatic ghosts.

His loss to me is known; his own loss to himself is apparent.

The man I had lost is still present, but his absence is palpable.

This disease hurts on so many levels.  It not only hurts me but it hurts our children and grandchildren also.  DH might be the one with Alzheimer's but we are all suffering from it in one way or another.

Brenda

Dio

Brenda, thanks for sharing your son's poem. It's beautiful. 

Yes, no one can understand our pain unless they've also walked this path.

Paris20

White Crane, those words are so poignant and so true. One of the saddest things I ever heard came from my daughters last year. They said that the father they knew and loved was gone. They had already started their morning while their Dad was still alive. That’s the nature of this horrible disease.

ButterflyWings

Beautiful. Touching. Heartbreaking. Dementia is such a cruel thief.

Buggsroo

Very poignant and true.

Your son sounds like a sensitive man. Yes the disease keeps taking and taking.

Joydean

White crane, your son hit the nail right on the head! His poem is sad but very heart felt. Please let him know we appreciate him letting you share it with us.  My son has expressed feelings similar to me.

Ed1937

The man who wrote this knew what he was talking about. Sad, but true.