episodically
faces from the past
(when she was a whole person,
not this brightly colored
amiable hologram)
stumble upon
her
hidden in plain sight
inadvertently blasting
gashes
in her composure
she swallows the panic
imagined awkwarding
shrugs imperceptibly
shouldering back
shifting ever-present
cloak of shame
brightly, uncued
“how may I help you?”
astute, registers
lack of recognition
in dementia clouded eyes
a faint flicker
can’t see past
the internal cumulus
to place her
momentary relief
hastily chased
by crushing sorrow
and humble gratitude
her fate, at least
has reversibility
clear-eyed interloper
assumes any
twinge of familiarity
setting abides
she is practiced at this
pretending she wasn’t
witness to
someone’s darkest hours
superficiality managed
she sighs relief
gratified to note
evident functionality
vestiges of her efforts
beneficial
Haunting, how two lives collide within the same person. One thing doesn’t make you different, necessarily, so why do people act like it does?
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Well that is a fabulous questions. Fear I think. If it could happen to someone else it could happen to them
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But… it isn’t contagious. It’s still the person.
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Apparently plenty of people believe otherwise. Not all certainly. Thank God
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No, not all. 🙂
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