Memories

There's a face in the glass I see,
That's only a shadow of a former me.
The gray hair and wrinkles I don't recognize,
But there's something deeper in the pair of eyes.

It's the years of my youth I have no trouble recalling,
Climbing trees, going higher, then falling.
Warm summer nights playing kick the can and red rover,
Hot summer nights, my first kiss in the clover.

Love and marriage came quickly, the years too soon passed.
These memories are dear, I knew they would last.
I can no longer recite my name and address,
The children in the photos are hazy at best.

Like a doll they change and feed me, and wipe my face.
Each thought I have now, disappears without a trace.
Now I sit here alone not knowing my fate,
Will my family still love me, or will it turn into hate?

Will they care for an old woman who's outlived her time?
They whisper to others, she's losing her mind.
How far will this go before I meet my end?
Don't despair, be patient-my child, my friend.

For my memories of you are the dearest of all.
From heaven I'll send them, and like rain they will fall.

    Mary Walz-Watson, RN