My Mother’s Not Home Anymore
A dear friend’s mother was going through the ravages of Alzheimer’s. I wrote this for her.
My mother’s not home anymore
No one answers when I knock on the door
The light in the window doesn’t shine like before
My mother’s not home anymore
The stately old place now a shambles
Perplexing paths filled with brambles
A puzzling confusion of bewildered rambles
My mother’s not home anymore
I recall days of love and laughter
That once filled this house from floor to rafter
What happened to happily ever after
My mother’s not home anymore
Behind drawn curtains sometimes a glimmer
That reflects back before things got dimmer
Treasured times we shared are now slimmer
My mother’s not home anymore
I’m missing those memories we were making
As each recollection time is taking
The key is hidden and there’s no awaking
My mother’s not home anymore
For a moment an image brings a light to her eyes
But the candle just flickers and the flame soon dies
The glow is now gone that I can not reprise
My mother’s not home anymore
The old house still remains but the soul is transcending
A new dwelling’s built as an old one is ending
Too late for repairs and the hurts that need mending
My mother’s not home anymore
My mother’s not home anymore
But one day God will open the door
Her soul will be free, her spirit will soar
And she’ll be at home evermore
Sue Ikerd
September 7, 2012©