Silent Screams

Silent Screams

The screams rang in his ears, they went on non-stop,
Never relenting, he heard them around the clock.
He was quite certain that others could hear,
Their shrillness rang out so very clear.

He thought of Poe’s Raven, but that was nothing,
The screams were so shrill, his mouth was frothing.
He longed for the silence that deafness would bring.
Yet the screams continued on, in his ears they did ring.

One night the screaming stopped, silence overwhelmed him,
Blessed peace and quiet, as the light slowly grew dim.
The solitude that followed, smothered him quite well,
Though the screams had been bad, this silence felt like hell.

His world was one of stillness, devoid of all sound,
He didn’t care much, for this world that he had found.
As if he had a choice, it was not his to choose,
But now in this one, he was often lonely and confused.

He was an ordinary man, just like you and I,
He lived a life like most of us, trying to get by.
An all around family man, who did the best he could,
Raised his children well, they stood by him as they should.

Their father fought a fight, that many fought before,
His world was not real, just in his mind forever more.
He suffered from Dementia, lived only in his mind,
With no idea of the world, he had left behind.

He didn’t know what day it was, or the time of year,
All he knew was silence, deafening in his ears.
His family knew there was nothing they could do,
Except stay by his side, help him see this through.

Each was aware, of how their father’s battle would end,
None wanted to call it quits, nor did they pretend,
That all would be fine, that he would defeat his foe,
Until he lost his fight, there’s no place they would go.

This silence was oppressive, he longed to hear a sound,
As his children watched his face, they could see him frown.
Suddenly his face twisted, a grimace, then a smile,
The screams had returned, he was comforted; for awhile.

Jim Dorrell
11/6/11