Friday, June 8, 2012

A Word with Laurie: Dementia

Whistler's Mother


Yesterday I watched a little girl at the pool playing with a toad. She carried it around in her hands like it was a chocolate chip cookie she'd snuck from the kitchen. She stuck it on her brother's head and inside her cute little bathing suit while her oblivious  mother chatted with a friend. I just wanted to share that with you. I even wrote a poem about it here. Now for the prompt... 

Last month I changed things up a bit. I will choose the word I wish to highlight from blog posts of members and contributors of Imaginary Garden with Real Toads. I hopped from lily pad to lily pad, and I have to say it was a tough choice. That is, until I came across a special posting from Susie Clevenger.

We are most familiar with Susie's poetry on Confessions of a Laundry Goddess. Over at one of her other blogs, Susie’s Sentences, “Where You Find Me,” touched my heart. I have written about my own experience with cardinals after the death of my friend, so I can truly relate to what happened between Susie and her deceased mother. I was brought to tears not only because of that, but because of my own relationship with my mother, which over the years has been tumultuous at times.

I’ve also noticed a common thread running through many of the poems I read on a regular basis. It ties in perfectly to Susie’s post. That theme is Alzheimer’s Disease. It’s the last reason Susie’s words resonated through my heart; my grandmother suffered from dementia.

The American Heritage Dictionary defines dementia here:

1. Deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as memory, concentration, and judgment, resulting from an organic disease or a disorder of the brain. It is sometimes accompanied by emotional disturbance and personality changes.
2. Madness; insanity.

You can take this in many different directions.

*Of course, there’s the medical definition we all know associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

* Do you ever feel demented?

*Insanity: In.San.It Y. End of story.

Please write a poem that follows this prompt and link it to Mr. Linky. Be sure to visit the other participants and leave a comment letting them know you were there. Don't forget!


29 comments:

Dr. Pearl Ketover Prilik (PKP) said...

Hi all - What a provocative prompt - promise I'll stop here - looking forward to reading more! :)

Hannah said...

Thank you, Laurie for all the thought you put into putting this together for us. Smiles to all poetical peeps!

Helen said...

From a Flower ... I cared for my mother during the last five years of her life as she battled Alzheimer's and Lewy Body dementia. I wrote poetry to keep myself sane. Or so I thought. This is a great prompt!

Sherry Blue Sky said...

Whoa, "eccentric" yesterday and "dementia" today - arent people getting tired of it being all about me? Hee hee. Just kidding. Great prompt, with a lot of scope. Thanks, Laurie.

Daydreamertoo said...

I found this a deeply moving subject. So difficult for everyone concerned and, not just the person who is affected by this.
Thanks for the prompt Laurie

Laurie Kolp said...

Your welcome... thank all of you!

Kerry O'Connor said...

Love your comment, Sherry!

Ella said...

I tried to tie in the eccentric prompt at Poets United with this one, but I couldn't do it. I will be back...off to play with my fractured view~

Kay L. Davies said...

Powerful prompt for me. Both of my parents were diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease, plus Dad had another form of dementia as well, although I don't remember ever being told the name of it.
So much emotion, but I will be back, too.
K

S.E.Ingraham said...

A very well-presented topic Laurie and a provocative prompt as well ... I'm hoping I'm reading this correctly in that I don't have to be a member of this site to post? If not, let me know and I will vamoose ... as might be expected, I have a few things on hand that work with this topic ...

http://leapinelephants.blogspot.ca/2012/06/over-dinner.html

Kerry O'Connor said...

@ S.E. Ingraham - Anyone is welcome to participate in any challenges or prompts at any time. You do not have to be a member to do so. Welcome.

Laurie Kolp said...

oh, yes... so glad you joined us Sharon and Pearl!!

Susie Clevenger said...

Thanks Laurie for referring to my piece "When You Find Me." It was emotional to write. This time I decided to approach the subject from a male's viewpoint.

Susan said...

There is nothing romantic about aging with Alzeimers. My grandmother who lived to 103 and blessedly skipped dementia (though she lived near it in the old folks home) warned "these are not the Golden years" over and over in the occasions when she was not quite lucid. These are not the Golden years.

Isadora Gruye said...

I had fun with this one...thanks Laurie!!!!

Fireblossom said...

I will definitely be posting for this, as soon as I am able to type comfortably again. Tomorrow, I am thinking, cos the shoulder is improving. :-)

Grace said...

Thanks Laurie for the prompt ~ I don't have personal experiences to write about this but will use it as a metaphor ~

Kerry O'Connor said...

This prompt gave rise to so many moving pieces.. I've been blown away.

Willow said...

This is my first time posting here. The topic/prompt is my life. I entered two poems, hope that's ok, and the second one does contain a profane word, so I understand if it is removed, or if not removed I warn against reading it if anyone has objections to profanity.

Helen said...

Please forgive my poem repeat! Just this once, please? Promise it won't happen again .......

Other Mary said...

I've been stewing and brewing over this one for a long time. That's for the nudge.

Marian said...

sometimes i can't believe what comes out of my pen. not what i expected. thanks, Laurie.

Sherry Blue Sky said...

This prompt has provoked some of the most meaningful writing - and comment-sharing - I have ever experienced online. It blows me away how many of us have been touched closely by this disease. Not just the writing, but the comments shared, are all heartrending.......and help us to know each other more deeply than we ever might have. I am still making my way through all of them and the entire thing has been a total trip. Thank you all. What a great bunch of good hearts we have here!

Laurie Kolp said...

I agree, Sherry. I was worried it might be too difficult, but I do feel that by opening up like we have, we've come to know one another better. You have all encouraged me to share about my grandmother's dementia. Maybe I can get something going. thank you all!

Margaret said...

Just had to do this one. Thank you and I will swing by early morning to read all of them. I know this is going to be an emotional trip - and I thank you all for sharing.

Margaret said...

...my Link 25 is a bad one... sorry.

Fireblossom said...

I deleted the bad one for you, Margaret. :-)

Ella said...

My aunt is going through this now~
It is sad! This was an emotional tug, but such a great prompt!
Thanks Laurie~

Anonymous said...

hey, I'm very late with posting mine, and it doesn't actually mention the word...