She loved going to service with me
Sunday mornings, until
the rustling of 150 bibles
turning to the right passage
became a fluttering distraction
how could she listen,
get comfort
when she was still frantically
looking for the exact verse in Genesis
being read
after all, Mom knew her Bible
better than most pastors
& needed to make sure
he got the wording right;
this one looked too young to trust
in matters of spirit
even when she no longer knew
the location,
she had the gist
and the Book was hiding
its truth from her
when she couldn’t find it
fast enough
My finger guiding her eyes
to the verse
could never be enough;
so she stopped going
& worshiped,
as in everything else
without words
or language,
& God heard her
& spoke to her
Perfectly,
as in all things.
Susan Daniels Poetry 
Susan, great talent! How so delicately you bring to us these mutliple images of a woman in search of the word of God and ultimately of salvation, battling with the challenges of her Alzheimer and still struggling to retain her self respect! and the compassion of a daughter who watches all this, sharing her mother’s pain and wishing that God would hear her silent prayers and halt this creeping infirmity!
Noel–thank you so much for your kindness.
My mother passed away 2 years ago from her disease; which had stripped away everything that made her herself long before her body died. It is just now, 2 years later, that I am writing about it–some people write to bring themselves peace; I have to be at peace before I can write. Thanks for sharing in my journey 🙂
It is well, Susan. She left a daughter whose mind is as fine and pure as that drop of water on the green blade of grass…and Alzheimer has got nothing on that. Write on! She read you from above and now remembers every line! Feel her presence in every pure line that swarm and beg to midwifed!
Wow, that was beautiful, Noel–thank you!
You’re wonderful Susan ! She’s soo alive where it really matters! She KNOWS so much that she is no longer being tested, she’s won the race! YOU remember for her and remember all she needs you to fulfill as her offspring ~A beautiful poem!
Thanks, Deb–I really loved this poem, and what it speaks to about faith, after so much else has been lost.
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What a beautiful poem! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for letting me know it spoke to you!