The child was my mother
Written by Joyce Greene
3/23/08
The child loved the singing frog,
I brought for her at Christmas.
She laughed with glee each time it sang.
The child was my mother.
The child begged at whim to go to Mass,
So my father took her to the church,
And, in the empty holy place, he prayed.
The child was his wife.
The child needed help to walk,
And my brother and sister held her hand.
Standing up, one day, she broke her hip.
The child was their mother.
The child did not eat her food,
Though my father tried so hard to feed her.
The nurses did their best to help.
The child was their patient.
The child writhed in terrible pain,
While my family watched and cried.
Pain killing drugs lulled her to sleep.
The woman walked to God.
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good poem Joyce
loved this one Joyce well thought up and put together a great poem thanks for sharing it, fromWillow
thanks, willow
It is wonderful having a place where you can express your feelings. I love reading your poems, willow, and the poems of all the other talented poets on this site. It was very cathartic to write this poem - my mother passed away last August, and none of us has recovered from the pain.
painful
Tough to watch a parent with vitality fail with age and infirmity. Thank-you for sharing. raskin
my father was a saint
My father gave. with love, three plus years of his life to making sure Mom was treated with dignity and care. While people advised him that a nursing home would be the easiest route, he refused to take that road. Mom's Alzheimer's peaked after she broke her hip. Once forced by her condition to give in, Dad spent each day at the hospital and the nursing home watching assiduously after her care. He might not always have been loved by the staff, but he took care of my mother. We love our father very much, as we loved our mother.
extraordinary
It is extraordinary to bear witness to that kind of love and care. raskin
yes, raskin
I think there is a lot more extraordinary loving sacrifice in this country than we hear of in the papers. Many, many families are caring for their aging parents. God bless them.
Good Piece
A heartfelt personal write, lovingly done. Felt emotion throughout this piece. Especially like the last line, 'The woman walked to God'. Thank you for sharing this piece,
Dave
loss of dignity
Thank you David. I think the loss of dignity is one of the hardest parts of Alzheimer's. My mother was so scared when she realized she was losing her mental facilities. How difficult it must be to be aware that you are losing you. Hopefully there will soon be a cure for this wrenching and hideous disease.