Hi All,
I lost my Mom in August, and this is my first return to the forum. She had a quick and peaceful death which I am grateful for, but I am still coming to terms with her loss. It was quite a shock and I still don’t feel I have fully taken it on board. I am trying to find out who I am now a longer have a “carer” label. In many ways it should be a kind of freedom, but it still feels like I am missing something vital. I wanted to share this with you, it is inspire by my Mom, haunted trees was one of her phrases. She used it to describe autumn.
Haunted Trees
She spoke of haunted trees
A word sought explanation from a fading mind
The stark winter branches, arcing across her sight
Mocking the connections her brain longer made.
Trapped in dementia’s Faraday Cage
Contained and separate
She fights to stop the world receding from her,
Raging at objects that have hidden their names
An ear caught voice, once familiar, now littered with unknown tones
An imagined childhood, friends that never call.
Fear or death the barrier - no longer certain which.
Sometimes we go driving, the tarmaced rhythm soothing
And then, electric memory, burning across the canopy
Turning to me “I miss him” she whispers, branches briefly touching
But soon she is back amongst the haunted trees
Lost in a forest of broken neurones
An ancient child weeping for rescue
Not realising the familiar will never again comfort her.
I lost my Mom in August, and this is my first return to the forum. She had a quick and peaceful death which I am grateful for, but I am still coming to terms with her loss. It was quite a shock and I still don’t feel I have fully taken it on board. I am trying to find out who I am now a longer have a “carer” label. In many ways it should be a kind of freedom, but it still feels like I am missing something vital. I wanted to share this with you, it is inspire by my Mom, haunted trees was one of her phrases. She used it to describe autumn.
Haunted Trees
She spoke of haunted trees
A word sought explanation from a fading mind
The stark winter branches, arcing across her sight
Mocking the connections her brain longer made.
Trapped in dementia’s Faraday Cage
Contained and separate
She fights to stop the world receding from her,
Raging at objects that have hidden their names
An ear caught voice, once familiar, now littered with unknown tones
An imagined childhood, friends that never call.
Fear or death the barrier - no longer certain which.
Sometimes we go driving, the tarmaced rhythm soothing
And then, electric memory, burning across the canopy
Turning to me “I miss him” she whispers, branches briefly touching
But soon she is back amongst the haunted trees
Lost in a forest of broken neurones
An ancient child weeping for rescue
Not realising the familiar will never again comfort her.