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A Living Death
A Living Death
By Elton Camp
All that was Richard Bonds slips away
Steadily, surely, inexorably day by day
The desperation seen in his eyes is real
Dementia grows and continues to steal
No matter how hard he does try
People he can no longer identify
Perhaps he realizes he’s seen them before
But cannot place who they are anymore
“This is your son as you surely must recall”
But he has forgotten he ever had a son at all
Slowly, his family all pull away
“It’s no use,” they sadly say
“It’s just too bad for me to see
A nursing home depresses me
He won’t even remember that I came
Why, he no longer knows my name”
“Mister Bonds, how are we today?”
A foolish, prating aide will say
It’s in baby talk that she speaks
Of cheap perfume she reeks
Of her condescension he’s vaguely aware
But he can now only silently sit and stare
The competent man he was is no more
Richard awaits death to knock at his door
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