Storm outside the teacup
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Caregiver to a loved one with dementia or any other disease that requires constant care attention.
Imagine a teacup in a dishwasher
Whirling around
Tossed around by swishing water,
Coarse detergent etches the glaze
The patina starts to craze,
The cycles run
the chore is done.
The cup is spotless
No signs of mess
The caregiver is the cup
Put way up
On the shelf
until needed again tomorrow
There is calm
For a few hours.
Today the craziness is larger than the dishwasher
Dementia is wild and organic
The caregiver that stands strong while the storm surrounds him,
Like a waterspout on a lake,
A wet tornado that carves a chaotic path.
Spectators watch the devastation
They say, “You’re so strong,”amid the storm.
Kind words that make no sense
No one from the outside dares to enter
Bits of fish debris fly in the vortex
Hopes and dreams disintegrate in the wind
A lone seagull flaps around the edges
It looks like my brother
It enters the storm,
It flies toward me straight and sure
Then it swoops over and shits on my head.
Onward, the gull sails through and disappears.
When will the storm end?
My body and mind weaken against the relentless maelstrom
I miss the sunny days
When we planted the vegetable garden and laughed
We try to plant the garden like we did,
But the bitter wind is never conducive to gardening
One day the swirling wind will succumb.
Will I rest then?
Will I celebrate?
Or will I grieve the stillness?