Life has its twists and turns. Sometimes you shouldn’t be going anywhere.

 

But you believe you have to go. And then . . .

 

 

You Wonder Why

 

Did you wonder what it meant

when I begged you to take the wheel of the car

while, in the same breath, I said I would drive?

That I pushed you away,

as I collapsed into the driver’s seat,

must have left you quite confused.

 

You started to head toward the house,

as I begged you to get into the car,

and feared that you wouldn’t.

 

Then you turned and looked at me,

in a way that made me shake

and my world seemed to be coming apart.

 

With tears in your eyes,

you told me I shouldn’t be driving

and wondered why I’d changed my mind.

 

I said, if you loved me,

you should get in,

for we were running late.

 

Running late for what? you asked,

and told me we have no place to go,

and it’s almost dark.

 

But the kids are waiting for us,

so we need to leave now

to beat the evening traffic, I declared.

 

You said we didn’t have kids.

How you came to that conclusion

I didn’t understand.

 

And, who are you, anyway?

You shouldn’t look at me like that.

And who am I? You don’t know?

 

Oh, both kids are here.

Isn’t that nice.

Hello.

 

Dressed in light blue scrubs

two women smiled.

Come out of the car, please.

We’re taking you back

to the memory care unit—

your forever home.

 

And fortunately,

you didn’t have

the car keys.

 

 

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