Dementia Earthquake

In the past,
we’d experienced active faults,
grandparents,
victims of old age assaults,
unable to name
the rumbles and shakes
that came to be known
as dementia earthquakes.

And then there was you
with your primary waves
of forgetfulness, distance
and those days
when you disappeared behind your blue eyes,
just stood and gazed with fear
because words had slipped through cracks
in your asthenosphere.

Now words are just dust
in your mouth
and memories
aftershocks in your head.
Some days a smile I recognise
waves
for a second
and then it is
gone,
replaced
by a face
cracked with stress and strain
of not knowing who I am
again.

© Kim M. Russell, 2016

My response to Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Fireblossom Friday: I Feel The Earth Move

Shay is our host here with another Fireblossom Friday writing challenge that s based on a song from one of my favourite albums, Carole King’s Tapestry: ‘I Feel The Earth Move’, a love song that Shay wants to take in a different direction. What happens when the earth moves, literally? Things shake, crumble and collapse; everything known becomes changed, unfamiliar, disorienting. The very ground you stand upon becomes unsteady.

Shay wants us to write about a situation in which the earth moves under our feet: a significant other has been found to have their own significant other; our bodies or that of a loved one turned traitor and a lump is found; or something that was easy and natural now involves pain and effort. Maybe our world view has been shattered and everything we know Is wrong. It could be a crisis of faith. Whatever it is, Shay wants us to write a new poem about being shaken up, tossed about, made to doubt what we thought was solid. Feel the earth move and write about it.

23 thoughts on “Dementia Earthquake”

      1. at my looming age, I should feel its effects..but hopefully not for years. I admire any caregiver who has to deal with this. It takes great courage and patience I think. Blessings from here. Jane

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  3. I can’t think of a more apt subject for this challenge than this one, Kim. Senile dementia carries away–eventually–everything that was there, leaving only the husk. Few situations I can imagine are crueller than that. Thanks for being part of my challenge.

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  6. This is a perfect response to the prompt, as I cant imagine the earth shifting any more frighteningly, than under the feet of one succumbing to dementia….as well as the loved ones around her, who are losing their person while he or she is still here. A wonderful write. Nailed it.

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    1. My mother’s father had dementia, as did her maternal grandmother. She has Picks Disease, which is similar to Alzheimer’s but there is no treatment as such. My husband is driving me on the six and a half mile round trip tomorrow – I always look forward to it and dread it a the same time.

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