… then she Passed

After years together
her face is so familiar
this woman,
your mother.
You know how 
her mouth wrinkles
when she smiles ,
the sound of her voice

when she laughs,
the lines that mark
her face when she frowns.
Those dark brown eyes
with golden flecks
have watched you

for a lifetime
then one day
her memory fades
facts become jumbled
you are not recognized.
Nothing but a stranger
yet you must care for

her in her old age
while you grieve
for the woman
you once knew.
Guilty for all those
impatient thoughts
and doubts about her love.
Hours spent trying not to be like her
yet with age, you resemble her
more than ever
but she doesn’t know you.
Days go by,
weeks and months,
you get busy with your own life
satisfied her body is being cared for
and whatever happiness her caretakers offer.

You stop by to see her as often as you can
she sees a friendly face 
but you are a stranger
by her account.
Then one day she
is gone
resting in the quite solitude
of death

and you miss her so.