Slowly fading away

Another day, another introduction,
I start with a Hello and a smile.
Along with it, carries a hope that you will remember,
That is how it is, everyday.

It has become a routine,
I cannot remember when it started.
Searching for a sign of recognition,
I could never find it.

It pains my heart,
Knowing that you've forgotten me.
Seeing you living contently,
I have learnt to accept it.

......

I was watching the tele,
When I felt someone approaching.
Hello she said,
as I turned around to return her greeting.

Her sad little smile caught me off guard,
Why does she look so sad?
Too polite to ask a stranger,
I kept that little thought in me.

Do you remember me?
She asked with a quiver in her voice.
I stopped to think,
'No, I think this is the first time I've met you.'

......

Holding back my tears,
I hope that I didn't worry him.
I brought along an old photo album today,
Hoping that it might help him remember.

It contained the story of his life,
Dated from the day granddad bought the camera.
It tells the story of important events,
From childhood, to marriage, till his encounter with me.

I started from the first page,
The section of black and white.
He remembers!
Excitedly, he narrated the stories behind them.

......

Oh! My old photo album.
I haven't seen them in a long time.
It seemed like yesterday,
When all these things happened.

I started telling stories,
She was really interested in them.
It brought back so many memories,
The good, the bad, hallmarks of my life.

I flipped another page over,
Now the photos are coloured.
Then I started having difficulty,
Recalling the events when it was taken.

......

My hopes left me,
His condition has deteriorated from a month ago.
The last time we went through the album,
He did not have any problem till pages after.

He stopped at the 8th page,
Which was the day he married.
The bride, looking lovely in white,
With him, looking smart in tuxedo.

'Was I married?' he asked,
'She looks really lovely.'
I didn't know how to answer him,
My strength all focused on holding back the tears.

......

I must have been married,
The groom is definitely me.
She is so lovely in that white dress,
I wished I could have remember that moment.

I flipped over another coloured page,
What greeted me was this photo of two,
It was the picture of the beautiful lady with a baby in her arms,
She was smiling so happily to the person who took the photo.

I felt a strong sense of love,
And a feeling that I should have remembered them.
I went through the other photos,
Showing that little girl growing up.

It started with her being so tiny,
Then sitting up, crawling, and walking.
She went to kindergarten and to school,
Suddenly, I realised she looked very familiar.

I turned to look at my visitor,
No doubt, she is that little girl in the photo.
Are you my daughter?
She nodded in reply with tears streaming down her face.

I was losing a piece of myself each day,
Bit by bit, without even realising it.
I was slowly fading away,
Heading towards nothingness.

This entry was inspired by someone I saw who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. I just hope that none of us have to go through any of this.