Assignment 4: Final Presentation
This semester has brought about a great many changes in me. Some, I fully expected; others hit me like train at full speed. The greatest of all of these events, however, was learning of my father’s development of Early Onset Alzheimer’s Disease this past September. He is 47 years old. Many people are familiar with the disease, at least in name, but most are not familiar with this particular form of the disease, which continues to grow more common. Having felt it strike so very close to home, it triggered many revelations, not the least of which is just how precious memories are.
I think this event hit me so hard because it was so unexpected. We had expected to learn he had some sort of chemical imbalance that we could fix easily with a pill. Alzheimer’s, however, is almost like being diagnosed with Huntington’s. There is no cure, only ways to slow its progress. When you’re faced with something that extreme, something totally inevitable, all of your priorities get rearranged and shaken up. It’s an extremely confusing experience, but at the same time there is something truly clarifying about it.
This clarification lead me to see just how important our memories are. In times of emotional crisis, I often turn to writing poetry. I’ve written and read poems at both of my grandfathers’ funerals, and both of these poems have been published in a national anthology. There is a natural flow to poetry that helps me to organize my own thoughts and reflect on the outcomes of things even as simple as words. So, in for my final project, I chose to write a poem. The poem uses the metaphor of mist to represent memories, and how delicate I realize they are. This is true not only in the face of disease, such as Alzheimer’s, but in the very passage of time. However, I understand now the importance of cherishing those memories, holding them close and protecting them. My poem doesn’t even come close to those famous poems throughout history or even those of contemporary poetry masters, but it serves its purpose: to express my feelings and ideas, even as they change with time and each new experience.
I think this event hit me so hard because it was so unexpected. We had expected to learn he had some sort of chemical imbalance that we could fix easily with a pill. Alzheimer’s, however, is almost like being diagnosed with Huntington’s. There is no cure, only ways to slow its progress. When you’re faced with something that extreme, something totally inevitable, all of your priorities get rearranged and shaken up. It’s an extremely confusing experience, but at the same time there is something truly clarifying about it.
This clarification lead me to see just how important our memories are. In times of emotional crisis, I often turn to writing poetry. I’ve written and read poems at both of my grandfathers’ funerals, and both of these poems have been published in a national anthology. There is a natural flow to poetry that helps me to organize my own thoughts and reflect on the outcomes of things even as simple as words. So, in for my final project, I chose to write a poem. The poem uses the metaphor of mist to represent memories, and how delicate I realize they are. This is true not only in the face of disease, such as Alzheimer’s, but in the very passage of time. However, I understand now the importance of cherishing those memories, holding them close and protecting them. My poem doesn’t even come close to those famous poems throughout history or even those of contemporary poetry masters, but it serves its purpose: to express my feelings and ideas, even as they change with time and each new experience.
Memories
Gabriel Brown
Twining through the shimmering hills
Far above worry or fear
Lie our most precious thrills
And those which shed a tear.
Joy and life,
Sadness and death,
Through days of strife,
And days much blessed,
Forever one they are with us
Buried deep within our souls
Revealed to those we truly trust
And intertwined with every goal.
But oft we forget
In life’s great hurry
The blessed gift
That is memory.
Like faintest mist
They may blow away
Shredded in a trist
Nevermore to stay.
And though with time,
The mist will fade,
Make it thine,
Give it aide.
For we know not
How truly precious
Are these thoughts
Til they have left us.
Cherish with love
All memories, friends,
And soft as a dove,
Their comfort they will lend.
Gabriel Brown
Twining through the shimmering hills
Far above worry or fear
Lie our most precious thrills
And those which shed a tear.
Joy and life,
Sadness and death,
Through days of strife,
And days much blessed,
Forever one they are with us
Buried deep within our souls
Revealed to those we truly trust
And intertwined with every goal.
But oft we forget
In life’s great hurry
The blessed gift
That is memory.
Like faintest mist
They may blow away
Shredded in a trist
Nevermore to stay.
And though with time,
The mist will fade,
Make it thine,
Give it aide.
For we know not
How truly precious
Are these thoughts
Til they have left us.
Cherish with love
All memories, friends,
And soft as a dove,
Their comfort they will lend.
Memories | |
File Size: | 13 kb |
File Type: | docx |