A memory, once green and fertile land,
In shadow now with unfamiliar shapes
That cause confusion, helplessness and fear
The sufferer knowing not which way to turn.
White spectres dance their non-existent path
Across the floors and ceilings they hold sway,
And hinder truth of thought and reasoning
And other mental qualities once held.
Forgetfulness of mind is slow and sure
As day by day its faculties decrease,
And ebbs away from reason inch by inch,
Leaving a desert arid, drained and bare.
Relationships once happy are now strained,
As parent-offspring roles become reversed,
As sufferers lose all sense of self and worth
And helping hands look on with helpless hearts.
For them, their lives take on the burdens passed
By those who cannot by themselves make sense
Of their surroundings, and their minds’ effect
On those for whom life takes an arduous turn.
The newly-burdened lives are now at risk
That they become a reincarnation
Of those, now helpless, who in former years
Could live life to the full in mind and strength.
Cruel irony, in that the distant path
Is within easy reach to recollect
And ponder and recall, as if to say
No mental hardship could exist at all.
And yet such illness will at last, one day
Come to an end and, freed from shackles bound,
And memory perpetual restored
True lasting peace and healing will be found.
Until such time, take heart, do not despair,
All you who take this burden in your grasp,
Freedom from care will come and, like the Dove
Of Peace, will rest and wipe away all tears.
Dominus-Iesus-est 