bob bradshaw
Alzheimer's
I close the blinds, darken the house.
Suddenly Dad stands, as if
remembering an appointment.
He rushes out of the house
as if a taxi had pulled to the curb
to take him to the airport.
Sometimes I pull up next to him on a road.
Dad, do you want a ride home?
"Who are you?" he asks.
Will I find myself one day
wandering south?
When I misplace a pair of scissors
or forget to lower the heat on a burner
will the sun pull me towards Florida?
Will language become a white noise?
Will my children become strangers
tugging at me? Will my husband
become a nurse serving meds on a tray?
Where will I turn when everyone
is a stranger? What
will I do, but try to find a road
to lead me safely home?
Bob is a programmer living in California. He is a big an of the Rolling
Stones and easy times. Recent work of his can be found at Chantarelles Notebook,
Thick with Conviction, Raving Dove, Mississippi Review and Pedestal Magazine.