If I don't Remember You- A Poem by El_boogie

As we get older, the first thing to go is the memory.  Watching our love ones get old can take it's toll on the whole family and can be very stressful.  My own grandmother suffered from Dementia and at the time I didn't understand why she thought I was still a kid (even though I had kids) and she would talk about things that had happened years before like it was yesterday. Looking back it makes sense now, but at the time; we didn't understand how those type of diseases worked.  She never forgot who we were, but she thought we were still young kids. 

Last year I was watching the Tiny and Tonya show and the episode was focusing on Tiny's father who has Alzheimer.  It was really sad to watch her communicate with him and try to get a response.  I could only imagine how that might feel….so I wrote down some words.    *Yes I write poetry too...

IF I DON’T REMEMBER YOU

If I don’t remember you,

            Please don’t hold it against me.

I can only hope you hold enough memories for the both of us.

If I don’t remember you

            Please don’t forget me.

I will be depending on you to tell me who I am.

 If you remember me

            Please tell me; that I was loved, I am love, I still love.

Are we only the memories that we chose to hold inside?

Or are we everything that you need us to be.

If I forget you; let me know that you will remember me.

Dedicated to the Memory of Artonsie Bagby