Reviews from

Coaxing Sorrow

Impact of Alzheimers on relationship with mother.

27 total reviews 
Comment from pigwit
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The lines below were the ones I found to be the most powerful. The paint box metaphor was especially powerful. I large swath of my family is similar to the mother in this story so it hits home. -- Pigwit

You threw me a curve.
Your paint box never held sad and vulnerable,

Now here stand I, your prodigy
To share with you my humanness
As it evolves today.

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 19-Mar-2011
    Just writing about it helped me resolve some issues of my own, concerning my own perceptions.
    thanks for the rating and comments.
Comment from kingskid
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What a very sad poem filled with charging emotions.
How sad it must be for you that you now have to be wthere for her, when she was so distant before.
Your writing is powerful and i hope and pray that writin it down has helped your emotions.
Blessings to you and strength to you for each day.
Love
Norms

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 19-Mar-2011
    It was a great help. it allowed me to look at my own traits.
    Thanks for the rating and the comments.
Comment from Fireshadow
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.

Dallas, this is a very powerful and poignant poem I can relate to since I've cared for almost 10 years for my Dad and Mom. He passed (Alzheimer's) on March 2007 and she's now 90 yrs old and has suffered from vascular dementia during the last 5 years. Seeing your parents deteriorate from the strong, brilliant people they used to be, to feeble, helpless beings is very painful and difficult. It creates angst, frustration and even anger.

I detect deep resentment and anger in your words, which is very understandable. When we're young, we never think the cycle of life will place us in a position of reversing our roles where we become our parents' caretakers. When we were infants and young children they looked after our well being, each according to his or her own means, capabilities, personality and personal baggage. Now it's our time to give back that care to keep them safe, healthy, comfortable and, as much as we can, happy.

Thank you for sharing this great work. Many blessings to you and your mother, my friend.

Ama


 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 19-Mar-2011
    When i wrote this i think I was beond the anger and able to just look at it the way it was. Tthe dynamics of the entire situation revealed some hidden truths about myself. It allowed me to recognize that God was giving me an opportunity to forgive the past and attend to her needs. Something she deserved.
    thanks for the rating and comments.
Comment from chita
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You have good author notes and a good flow with your poem-you are descriptive and write with emotion-alzheimers is a terrible disease and you express yourself very well-I love where you write( Now here I stand, your prodigy-To share with you my humanness) a powerfer line and poem--great job.

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 19-Mar-2011
    That line was perhaps my key to some inner peace.

    thanks for the comments and the rating.
Comment from Jewell McChesney
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Very interesting poetry, Dallas. Actually the story behind it, is one of many, I imagine daily as I work among these precious souls every day.
Many have no one who visits. So sad...
Was the paint box metaphorical?
A sad, but good write.
Jewel

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 19-Mar-2011
    Yes the paintbox was meetaphorical. Mom has been in the nursing home for eight years. She is almost comotose and recognizes, nor can respond to anyone. Thankfully, my sister and I live close enough that alternate and vistit 6 days a week. I have written a short story about the pain of placing her in the nursing home. It was one of the most traumatic events of both our lives. I will probably publish it here. It is called Trudging The Road To Nothingness. Thanks for the rating and the comments.
Comment from Deejharrington
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It is a horrible and life changing disease. It reverses the role of child and parent. It is almost impossible to watch someone you love fade into someone you don't recognize. After going through it myself, the only advice I can give is, to remember her as she was and this person really isn't your mother. Compassion and patience :)
dj

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 18-Mar-2011
    My sister and I have watched for the past eight yeara as she has slipped down level after level. I've written a short piece about the pain of having to place her in a nursing home which I will probably publish here. Sadly, there are no more levels. she hasn't recognized us for two years and rarely opens her eyes. she is nothing but a shell of who she use to be. Her condition has spurned a lot of difficult questions. T
    hanks for your comments.
Comment from misscookie
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Wow,
this is a very deep poem about a relationship with a child and a mother
Being from the old school we learn from our parents and them taught us. I made a vow the bucked stop with me so my children did not have to lose out on a relationship until the last few years for no reason at all.

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 18-Mar-2011
    Thank God we can learn from our pain. thanks for the comments.
reply by misscookie on 18-Mar-2011
    Your very welcome.
Comment from Giddy Nielsen-Sweep
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This is so sad, so very sad, but unfortunately it happens far too often. Why doesn't someone tell us that we should mind the shop while we're able, for one day the shop will be independent of us. This has to be irony at its ugliest. Best wishes my friend,
Giddy

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 18-Mar-2011
    thank you so much for your keen observation.
Comment from sweetwoodjax
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this is very well written iwth good form and good flow a great job writing about the strength that your mother possessed that made you feel unneeded. this is sad but a beautiful write

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 18-Mar-2011
    Thank you for your comments. greatly appreciated.
Comment from Mara del Mar
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I worked in a nursing home where almost all suffer from alzheimers. It is depressing to see how they are deteriorating, but we can not stop the progression of the disease. It's painful, really. I'm sorry. Greetings!


 Comment Written 17-Mar-2011


reply by the author on 18-Mar-2011
    thank you. Mom has been in a nursing home for 8 years. Kudos to those of you able to witness this 8 hours a day.