The Last Room on The Right

My feet are dragging
but I must keep my appointment

Every Sunday
I am the only visitor
A mere reminder of
the world he once knew

Through clouded memories
we speak
Mostly of the distant past
as the present is a mere blur

Sometimes there is lucidity
a correct name, a recall intact
More often confusion reigns
and my smiles make everything all right again

You see, he is my father
but he often doesn't know
Until Alzheimer's knocked on the door
we were the best of friends

Now we are uncomfortable allies
as near as an arm's length
yet as far as a distant sun
Joined by a cruel disease that steals the soul

I try my best
Even though the jokes have no punch lines
and the stories go round and round
without beginning or end

The hour passes quickly
and I have a hundred fears as we part
Will he know my name as we hug?
Will God cure him in Heaven?

But everything pales
to the agony of watching
one tear
fall