THEME FRIDAY
WRITERS’ CORNER
This week’s theme is ‘in the mirror’ and courtesy of our newest member, Urban Panther. i did a post some time back with the same title, but’ve come up with a part two. Hope you enjoy the view…
She can’t sit but instead, must move because it’s over there, over there and over there. It moves, and so does she- following and trying to catch it but it won’t be still. It just keeps moving-
over there. Over there then. Over there.
What is it?
Her. It is her, her memory, her words, her self the way she knows it should be, but is not. And her throat whimpers. She cries dust. There’re no tears left. She speaks not thoughts but images.
“Heal Fred let so.
Fred I’m not well.
“I love you”
I love you
But persistence pays off. There is her. Talking and talking:
“Blue leg hamper kite flea?”
When did you get old?
When you got old, that’s when I got old. We are old together but we’re just fine right here. We speak Spanish. We speak Latin. We are a doctor. We are alive and can dance when ‘The Twist’ is on in our minds. And we feel good when that man comes and walks with us around and around and kisses our hair. We remember Father, so handsome and cool smelling, feeling like cherry tobacco and hugging us so tight we might break outside just like we broke inside. Remember?
Remember?
Rememeber?
Rererererereremememememeeeeeberrrtud?
5w44 38jidfj?)GF@GHKFYGHIUMJ:*&2090?
In the mirror, is her. She is her. And she is her friend. The only one that understands her thoughts in her words, always wearing green, her favorite color. Green’s her favorite color too. As long as there is the mirror, she’ll never be alone.
Her won’t either.
end
What is reflected in Annie’s reflections in the mirror..?
Urban Panther looks in the mirror and reflects…
(copyright 2008 ) c A Hughes
10.17.08
Heartbreaking. Just sad and lonely. I fear this in my old age soooo much. Orson Welles said: “We’re born alone, we live alone, we die alone. Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we’re not alone.”
What an interesting quote, certainly on the bleak side.
All i can say, all i can hope to do i mean, is live as much as i am able for as long as God allows. Being fearful doesn’t alter the course though i am right there with you, believe me. i have to say this to myself about 50 times a day! to remind myself.
~c
Hey Chica,
I am always gobsmacked by what you come up with. This piece is no different. I know this woman and many like her – desperately trying to find herself again and keep herself but the mind refusing to let her get a good grasp. You put us inside the head of this woman, sad and tragic – yet happy in a strange and lovely way.
Annie
Word salad is a common affect of dementia and can be terribly frustrating to the patient. It’s also a little weird for those who care for the patient. The first time i heard word salad i was blown away by the quickness and tone of the random words strung together as if they belonged that way. It got me wondering.
The person this symptom was loosely based on does actually say ‘i love you’. No word salad for that expression which demonstrates the power of the word, how it truly does remain. And that patient is often quite cheerful and lurves to talk. A lot.
i’m glad, and sad, that this piece was able to take you there. Thank you.
~c
I sort of wondered, being the new gal, whether I would pick a repeat theme! But it seems it doesn’t matter that I did. You were off and running. This was great.
Sometimes, I have an interesting philosphical debate with myself. When I’m old would I rather lose my mind, but have a strong body, or my body but have a strong mind? I am never able to answer that question to my satisfaction.
Oh no Panther, i wrote the previous on my own. It wasn’t a theme. As far as i am aware we don’t want to repeat, but you should prolly ask Annie to be sure.
Your question is an unanswerable one. i won’t choose. What happens happens and i just hope there’ll be compassionate people around to care for me when and if it does. Who knows? We may just grow to be spunky, spry and completely lucid and strong bodied old biddies!
~c
oh, man.
you did that well. the wordsalads and the clanging are rich territories to explore, clientwise.
you remind me of something. once i was working in a nursing home and a resident went into someone elses’s room by mistake. she was looking around for something familiar. she said, “where am i?” as she turned back toward the door where i was waiting. and when she saw me, she said, “Oh, there I am!” and we walked back to her room together. the oh-there-i-am, that still gets me.
i felt kind of iffy- you know, i don’t want to exploit anyone.
i’ve got to say i am very interested in learning as much as i can about this condition, this symptom dementia.
It’s awful and strange.
And i hate to say, interesting. i’m not sure if that’s the right way to say how i feel.
It’s heartbreaking the way it affects people.
i’ll stop. i’m thinking i sound terrible.
~c