When the Days Drift
Gathering What Alzheimer’s Cannot Take
I gather you walking down the hall,
your hands reaching for doors that have moved.
I gather your voice calling names that do not belong to me,
and I answer, I answer.
I gather the stories you tell twice, thrice, a hundred times,
and I do not tire.
I gather your eyes when they shine for a second,
and I see the life that remains.
I gather your steps as they falter across the floor,
I gather your laughter and your silence alike.
I gather the mornings when you wake
and do not know the day.
I gather the evenings when you sleep
and dream in fragments.
I gather your music, your hands, your face,
and carry them forward.
I gather all that the disease cannot steal,
I gather the pulse of you.
I gather because to gather is to fight the forgetting,
to honor the living.
I gather and hold you as the hours pass
and names vanish.
I gather and I proclaim your life here,
even as the disease erases you.
I gather, and in the gathering, you remain.
I gather, and I sing your presence
across the rooms of memory.
I gather, because Alzheimer’s
takes what it will,
and still, I hold you whole.
Author’s Note: November is Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. This poem is written in loving remembrance of my grandmother, who bravely faced this devastating disease for nearly fifteen years.
About the Creator
Tim Carmichael
Tim is an Appalachian poet and cookbook author. He writes about rural life, family, and the places he grew up around. His poetry and essays have appeared in Bloodroot and Coal Dust, his latest book.
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Comments (20)
well deserved win and a great fear of mine. such a moving piece. great work Tim!
My father suffered this disease, your words moved me with emotional memories. I cannot express how please I am to see this in the winners circle. Congratulations
Like the judge's commentary, the repetition of 'I gather' adds to the overall strength of this piece. Felt like someone realizing the gravity of the situation and reaching deep inside to share what it really means to them. So happy they highlighted this one. Congrats, Tim!
beautiful homage and so relevant to many who cannot speak for themselves...Congratulations on your win!!
Well deserved win and beautiful tribute to your dear Grandmother. 💖
Wow…so beautifully written, emotionally charged, and truly touching. Congratulations on the win
Great job, Tim
Congrats on being one of the five winners!
My aunt is going through a touch of it, she forgets, we have to be patient and understanding. Your poem is so kind and caring. Congrats Tim.
Very Touching, a caring lens on this devastating disease is what’s needed and you did this beautifully
Ooof. This is a brilliant take on the challenge. Poignant, evocative writing as always. The personal depth and the sense of resilience against grief really elevates what could have been a sort of despairing poem into one that’s full of care, compassion, and even a sort of sad celebration of life. I feel for your grandma and your family, facing such a devastating disease but I think you honored her with this writing. Congrats on your win!
Congratulations on your win, Tim!🥳 👏👏 I lost my uncle to Alzheimer's. I think many will relate to your poem. It's a topic that truly pulls on the heartstrings, but you did a fine job.
Congratulations on your win Tim! You kicked butt with this one! 🥳
Wooohooooo congratulations on your win! 🎉💖🎊🎉💖🎊
Heartwarming & Magnificent! Go Tim! 💪🏾🫶🏾
This is heart-wrenching and so well put together. You took amazing care of her, it really shines through.👏🤍
Well-wrought, Tim. Any Grandma would be proud of such fond and eloquent sentiments.
Painfully beautiful. Each time you mention that you gather, I feel the fight to preserve that person. The fight you know you're going to lose, but you don't care. A real love poem. Wonderful!
I love the way you capture the quiet heartbreak and the strong devotion of caregiving. “I gather because to gather is to fight the forgetting,” what a perfect line.
This is a beautiful meditation on the patience of unconditional love.