Dear Editor:
I worked as a registered nurse for several decades caring for seniors, many suffering with dementia. This poem was written for all the husbands, wives, sons, daughters, family and friends of people who suffer from dementia.
I Will Know You in My Heart
If my eyes don’t seem to know you
Or I can’t recall your name
Don’t look away with sadness
Or turn away with shame.
You may think that I have hidden
All the history we once shared
Or think that I’ve forgotten
All the love and how we cared.
When the mind retreats and closes
Oh, where do the memories go?
They are always deep within us
As you and I both know.
You know I’ve always loved you
I knew it from the start
The cherished memories, all our past
Is right here in my heart.
No doubt my memory’s fading
Old age does play a part.
I may not know you in my mind,
But I will know you in my heart.
Joan Norris,
Mapleton