Married
Fifty years
But
Mom no longer
Knows him
Dedicated
Dad
But
He no longer
Cares
Doctors
Say his
Illness
Is severe
Depression
And for
Our family
Many
Things have
Changed.
He used
To be
The one
Who gave us
Guidance
Now he
Rarely
Makes
Decisions for
Himself
We cannot
Trust
The product
Of his
"Reason"
Dad's lost;
He
Cannot
Find his own
Way home.
All drugs
The doctors
Tried
Were worse than
Useless
Each
Physical
Exam
Proved
"Nothing wrong"
This
Once-strong
Man shows
Clear signs of
Dementia
He sits
Alone and
Looks
Down at his
Shoes.
Mom
Supervises
Every
Waking
Moment
She has
No time
For
Anything her
Own
She did
Not plan
To
Babysit her
Husband
We pray
She can
Survive
The non-stop
Strain.
He
Worries
Constantly
About
"The money"
He's sure
His savings
Won't sustain
Him to the
End
But
We will
See him through
This time of
Trouble
Our family
Is
Dad's
Strongest
Safety net.
Poem, by Carole Bos, for forthcoming book Family Is a Safety Net.