Alzh. I cannot yet write that awful word in its entirety. I do not yet want to come to terms with it. It’s too real. It’s headed my way. It’s mine to deal with in its inevitability, its finality.
It’s me. Alzheimer’s.
There, I’ve written it while I still can.
Anne Rokeach has always loved the magic of words. Thanks to the programs of Upstate New York library systems, she has started putting them together in story form.
I escaped. I locked the door and fled into the country where I absorbed sunshine and gentle breezes; pondered fields, flowers, and flowing water; chatted with friends, would-be friends, and ice-cream servers; and marveled at winged flight, before responsibilities returned me and my key to the lock on the door.
Anne Rokeach thanks the public library systems of Upstate New York for offering workshops which bring to her the joy of learning to write poetry and prose.