A life of familiarity,
I lived for long
I had an identity
as a daughter
a sister
a wife
a friend
a neighbor
a satsangi
and much more
A life of familiarity
a home I called my own
utensils, clothes, bed et al
a neighborhood
with familiar streets and faces
shared memories of
food, smiles and sorrows
A life of familiarity
with a known loneliness
and nurtured grace
where hunger reminded me
of the passing of time
A life of familiarity
with roaches for company
and a cupboard full of memories
that I re-arranged day by day
pictures from a time long gone
belonging in the now and present
Then, one day
the familiarity
began to fade away
into dark corners
beyond my reach
Sometimes
a light would flash
and memories would come
and then the blankness again!
The streets became unfamiliar
The pictures blurry
The faces strange
I roamed the streets
of my life
lost in gaze and fear
Willed my fading memory
to flicker once more
for the final glimpse
of my loving man
Confused I lived
as chaos ruled my day
not remembering
if I have eaten a meal
or had a bath
on this fine summer morning
Once, a life of familiarity
Now I am invisible
to my own being
A care home they call it
a space for me
to feel familiar again
where I get a bed
food and some company
I had been to one
as a young girl
reading stories to them
and sharing some laughter
taking pictures to share
with friends and family
and feel purposeful and content
Those pictures had me
and many an invisible face
with a story I concocted on my own
must be a sad story I believed
How else could I feel good
about giving my time and of myself.
a sad story it has to be
Life has come a full circle
I am the invisible face
in someone else's frame
I have an identity
One more to the list...
Forgetful Ajji
with a toothless smile
and a concocted sad story
I lived for long
I had an identity
as a daughter
a sister
a wife
a friend
a neighbor
a satsangi
and much more
A life of familiarity
a home I called my own
utensils, clothes, bed et al
a neighborhood
with familiar streets and faces
shared memories of
food, smiles and sorrows
A life of familiarity
with a known loneliness
and nurtured grace
where hunger reminded me
of the passing of time
A life of familiarity
with roaches for company
and a cupboard full of memories
that I re-arranged day by day
pictures from a time long gone
belonging in the now and present
Then, one day
the familiarity
began to fade away
into dark corners
beyond my reach
Sometimes
a light would flash
and memories would come
and then the blankness again!
The streets became unfamiliar
The pictures blurry
The faces strange
I roamed the streets
of my life
lost in gaze and fear
Willed my fading memory
to flicker once more
for the final glimpse
of my loving man
Confused I lived
as chaos ruled my day
not remembering
if I have eaten a meal
or had a bath
on this fine summer morning
Once, a life of familiarity
Now I am invisible
to my own being
A care home they call it
a space for me
to feel familiar again
where I get a bed
food and some company
I had been to one
as a young girl
reading stories to them
and sharing some laughter
taking pictures to share
with friends and family
and feel purposeful and content
Those pictures had me
and many an invisible face
with a story I concocted on my own
must be a sad story I believed
How else could I feel good
about giving my time and of myself.
a sad story it has to be
Life has come a full circle
I am the invisible face
in someone else's frame
I have an identity
One more to the list...
Forgetful Ajji
with a toothless smile
and a concocted sad story
