Barbara J. Hamby

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Poetic Coincidences

A while back I mentioned that I have song lyrics going through my head much of the time, and occasionally I notice that the words of the current song relate to something that’s going on in my life. The other day when I wrote about reading a book on Alzheimer’s Disease, I was startled when I posted it to my blog and discovered the poem that came up randomly was “Addlepated.”

As you may know, my web site is set up with a group of my poems that pop up individually whenever someone logs on. I’m sure I’ve written nothing that relates more closely to Alzheimer’s than “Addlepated.” Go figure.

Addlepated

My friends are acting addled,
very much to my dismay.
I suppose, to be truly honest,
I, too, behave that way,
at least once every day.

This morning a caller asked,
“Let’s see, is it Tuesday?”
I blessed my watch which tells
me it’s the 29th, Wednesday
at whatever o’clock it may say.

A female friend, giving me advice
to make deposit records better,
laughs as a stack of papers falls
and she finds unmailed letters
with an unpaid bill for sweaters.

“Oh, there’s my Firstbank bill,
I wondered where it went.”
Lucky she’s not like me—money
to pay it would have been spent.
I might have to delay the rent.

Yes, my friends are becoming addled
but I really love them for it.
I know I’m not in that state alone,
and I’m certain we all abhor it.
Surely no one expects to adore it.