MY FATHER'S POETRY

My father has written poetry.
It was a tremendous release for him
as he was the sole caregiver in their house for my mother
who suffered from Alzheimer for 20 years
until she passed away at 90.

He was alone in the house with her during that long decline.
He did everything. Bathing, feeding, laundry, shopping.
I won't say cleaning, because... well...
the house was pretty bad.
But He was 91 when she passed away. Give him a break.

No one to talk to.
So he wrote poems.
I put them into three little booklets.
Now he is going to be 97 in a few weeks
and will give a poetry reading at the nursing home where he lives.

I realized I would need to illustrate one of the booklets
and make the print larger since he can't see very well.
Doing this service for him has helped me to come closer to him.
The past was very rocky, but it is all simply the past now.

He is a very sweet soul.
He wasn't always so easy to communicate with
but 20 years of taking care of my mother
has more or less made him a saint.
These are two of his poems.