Do not ask me to take your counsel or advice as well intentioned as it may be There is so much I am experiencing that you can’t know or see My husband, as I have known him, is vanishing before my eyes His daily needs for help keep growing in spite of how hard he tries I spend my days looking for things he’s lost like clothing and glasses and the past we share And wonder where we go from here and what we will do when we get there Can anyone really know how hard I try to be a caregiver and a wife How much I miss my gone forever daily life How much I long to have a husband that is there for me In all the ways he used to be How much I grieve inside for all our lost years that only I can recall How fearful I am that I won’t have the strength to continue to give my all That I won’t be the comfort I need to extend That I will forget that this life will someday end That I must plan and care and love and remember for all we need That I must be a caregiver in word and deed. So please know when I am angry or frustrated it comes from within And what I need most is an understanding, empathetic friend
Further reproduction is by written permission only. We welcome your poetry to share with other caregivers. Submission guidelines