The Kaleidoscoope of our Lives

The Kaleidoscope of our Lives
Little pinpoints, glimpses of memories
Distorted, enhanced, gone or imagined, different now
For better or for worse

A flash of familiar
Dancing with color or aromas
"I know that person," he says to me, "but I don't know who they are."
I whisper in his ear

A flash. He turns the kaleidoscope
Little pinpoints, glimpses of memories
Distorted, enhanced, gone or imagined, different now
In sickness and in health

We sit in front of the fire and
I remind him, assure him
In sickness and in health
For better or for worse

"Do I like brussel sprouts," he asks?
"You do" I tell him, but today he thinks he doesn't.
"How do I know you aren't just saying that. I can't remember"
"You used to like them," I tell him and he looks sad. Then angry.

Tomorrow he might walk to the river.
He might sit for hours listening to the river sing.
He wonders who he is now and says to me,"I used to be smart."
"You are still smart," I say and he sighs.
"What do we have to do today," he asks?
Nothing. Nothing at all I tell him.

A flash. He turns the kaleidoscope
Little pinpoints, glimpses of memories
Distorted, enhanced, gone or imagined, different now
In sickness and in health

And we might walk up, away from the river towards home.
We might sit in front of the fire.
I will tell him how much I love him and
He says, "I don't know why".

"I wish I could remember," he says.
"It's okay," I tell him. "You remember me."
"Yeah. But I don't remember me," he says.
I take his hand. '
Til death do us apart.

A flash. He turns the kaleidoscope
Little pinpoints, glimpses of memories
Distorted, enhanced, gone or imagined, different now
In sickness and in health
Til death do us apart.

It's our kaleidoscope. Ours.