Wrapped in the darkness & silence of the night
Like a log she slept
Gliding away into the world of dreams
Smiling & mumbling at times, but
Frowning & talking in a rage
Scolding someone, it seemed
When asked, ‘What happened?’
‘Nothing’ was the nonchalant answer &
Into her dream world she sailed back
Like a baby she had become—
Smiling, laughing, scolding, screaming
Based on sweet dreams & nightmares
With hardly a line of demarcation for–
Within seconds, one merged into the other
An enigma it was to even comprehend it!
The whole night with restlessness passed
With a blank page of its memory the next morning she woke up
Sort of a daily brain exercise–
It appeared to be!
Maybe the brain needed charging
Maybe it was God’s way of pointing out
The brain was still active
The emotional expressions proved it
A good sign it was, but, unfortunately
Gradual lethargy was overpowering it
To see her all confused & lost at times
Was indeed a painful sight.
Drawing her out of past reverie
A Herculean task it was!
Repetition & frustration were now her closest friends
No matter what one said or explained
On deaf ears it fell!
Trust & faith in every one slowly dwindled away
Searching for unknown facts helplessly
A big target before her lay
No escape from this condition is possible
A significant intrinsic characteristic of old age it is—
That only some surpass!
Accept & live with it, is the sole solution
This fact drowned all into the fathomless sea of sorrow–
A sharp double-edged rapier thrust
Their heart excruciatingly
As into her shell she retreated!
~ Anuradha S. Bannore
Vadodara, India
Anuradha ji, you have painted a brilliant and touching picture of old age through, which every one has to pass some day or the other. The traumas of the growing years of life are indeed very painful for the one who suffers and the ones who observe the deterioration day by day. It needs a lot of patience and perseverance for those who devotedly sacrifice themselves caring for them. Thank you for sharing these thoughts so explicitly highlighted.
Thanks Ms Diwakar for your encouragement. It means a lot to me.