There is a soft sweetness in the leaving

And though the fog of Alzheimer’s prevails

There glows a definite grace in the

Silence of Steve’s eyes.

–

Seeing the funny unexpected grin

That replaces his empty stare

I want to believe I see

A tiny sliver of remembrance

–

One day passes; another begins

As I struggle for the words

To parcel out the memories

Helping me to say good-bye

–

I witness his vacant, tender gaze

Those soft, smacking lips

That seem to be chewing

The last vestiges of his life

–

And so I find myself hovering around his

Bedside, adjusting his blankets

And spooning thickened liquids

Carefully into his anxious baby-bird mouth

–