When she lost it all, we lost it all.
Of course I didn’t know at the time.
Still Teetering on that childhood innocence,
Endless rides on the merry-go-round
Till it reached a standstill- and that’s when I knew
She was slipping away.
She knew.
And now, all she could do was to stare
at the threads on her quilt, confused by the intricate pattern.
The ability to touch, feel- A thread
The ability to speak, talk- Another thread
The ability to know, comprehend- Yet another thread tethered and torn
And finally, the ability to recognize
Names, faces blurred
Emotions remained- Fear, doubt, confusion
Reversal to childhood,
Endless rides on the merry-go-round and now she couldn’t stop
Her independence lost and a fleet of nurses gained.
We could grab her hand or kiss her lips,
but she wasn’t there
When the phone rang we knew before the words came
The final thread had come undone
When she lost it all, we lost it all.