Dementia Poem by Mervyn Graham

Oh Dementia, cruel thief of minds,
You steal our loved ones, so unkind.
With stealthy steps, you creep unseen,
Robbing memories, erasing the serene.

You snatch our fathers, mothers, pillars strong,
Leaving echoes where laughter once belonged.
Gone are the tales of childhood's glee,
Lost in the fog, a distant memory.

Sisters, brothers, torn apart,
By your relentless, merciless art.
Once vibrant souls, now lost in haze,
We mourn the light that slowly decays.

Spouses stripped of shared history,
A bond dissolved by your mystery.
Their hand in yours, but now estranged,
As you rewrite their story, time and time again.

Friends we cherished, now adrift,
In the labyrinth your darkness rifts.
No map to guide, no compass true,
Just fragments left, a shattered view.

Oh Dementia, you heartless thief,
We rage against your silent siege.
Yet amidst the sorrow, we'll cling tight,
To flickers of love in the fading light.

Though you may steal, you cannot claim,
The essence of who they remain.
In hearts and souls, they'll forever reside,
A beacon of love that will never subside.

So we'll fight your grip with all our might,
Embracing memories, hold them tight.
For though you take, you'll never erase,
The love that binds us, in every trace.

Mervyn Graham (cc 2024)