Flashes of a dream
You once had set your heart on.
Ghosts drifting of your loved ones,
Now buried, dead and gone.

Sitting in a rocking chair
Knitting needles in your lap
A flicker of sharp movement;
Perhaps it’s just the cat.

But no-she’s gone too
The last relic of your past.
It dawns on you again
That time moves much to fast.

Withered hands brush back grey hair
A tear springs to your eye
For you know, that in the end
All beauty too must die.

Dwell on days of childhood,
A privilege you no longer own.
Alzheimer’s took them all away
And left you all alone.

Will anyone notice when you’re gone?
You wonder if the world knows you exist.
But surely, it must, for after all
Your name is on his list.

A rattling breath:
He’s not far now.
Not much time left,
You wonder how.

A heart attack?
A car? A truck?
In your sleep
With any luck.

A knock upon your door.
You’re much too weak to stand.
No matter, he opens it for you
With a clenched and bony hand.

You stare at death.
He stares at you.
What happens next?
What shall you do?

“Let go of your soul,
I am here to set you free.
It’s your time to be taken
You belong now to me.
Farewell to the old,
For you owe it no debt!
Forget your past life
And the grudges you’ve kept.”

Not a flinch of distaste
Nor regrets-what’s done has been done.
“Accept my cold embrace,” says he,
“You’ve nowhere to run.”

Death has spoken,
Now you smile.
You’ll be happy once more,
In just a little while.

“I remember nothing now,” you say.
“I lost my mind so long ago.
I never held much fear in death,
So quietly, let us go.”

Tall and proud and head held high
You walk on, to eternal rest.
No more grief; your memories lost
But perhaps, it’s for the best…