Not just a what if story,
Sometimes I feel like this.


MISSING ME. MISSING YOU

I wait at the taxi rank,
But I don't know why.
As tears swell up inside,
It's because I realise;
I don't know who I am.

This isn't an existential thing,
Bringing joy to everything.
It's that I don't understand,
Why I don't know who I am.

It's been like this everyday,
Since you went away.
I don't know who I am,
I'm such a lonely man.

I don't know where I fit,
Since the day that I lost you.
Why can't anybody else see,
Dementia not been good for me.

Then suddenly out off the blue,
Someone that nows who I am.
Rushed to be here by my side,
But I don't recognise my wife.

I look at her crying each day,
Trying to come to terms with this.
Because I don't know who she is:
I'm such a lonely man,
I can't remember who I am.




Poetry by Alan J Ripley The PoetBay support member heart!
Read 99 times
Written on 2026-03-09 at 09:53

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melanie sue The PoetBay support member heart!
Dear Alan. This definitely hit. It definitely provoked my tears. I wish I could reach out, love and hug all who meet this horrible fate in the end of their lives. I have several friends whose parents suffered from Alzheimers. One close friend [and superb clay artist, a fine married woman, also classmate and friend of my now deceased brother]. Both her parents developed it around the same time. Her mother died first and her father lingered approximately a year longer. The most torturous situation that created, for every morning he would ask for his beloved wife, having forgot she had passed. There are two things that I know are very helpful: music and being loved. The fact is, love can get you through it
I hope you fall in love twice, even if it be as strangers-
Live in your moments still left, with all love and support as possible.
Play your favorite music, dance if you still can, don't stress if the amnesia causes your memory to fade. Tell stories you do remember. Let others tell their tales. Most of all, get reacquainted with each other on a daily basis. Do with deep hugs and love.

And this poem?
A masterpiece, IMHO.

God Bless You, Alan
2026-03-20


Elakkiya Chandran M
I noticed this poem a few days ago and it has been on my mind ever since. I really liked it. The idea and the way it shows how an Alzheimer/dementia patient might feel was amazing — I could really feel the emotion in it.

Keep Writing!
2026-03-17