here and gone

a stroke
changed our future

the warm alto voice
that lit my face and heart
wavers and whispers in an altered tone

the strong athletic body
now battles through hemiplegia

yin yang thoughts cascade and collide
you’re here, but also gone
should i be thankful?

instead I mourn the death
of so many small, but important things

your sense of time is lost
with the quarter of brain that was damaged
and independence becomes a slow goal

the sharp mind reduced to altered realities
where scams seem plausible and helpers always get their way

constant pain
physical and emotional
add their final touches to your new persona

you’re here, but gone
and i must abide

empty dreams and nostalgia
the unbalanced remains of a warrior’s life
and the chance to find a new purpose – or not