Slow Fade (Poem for my Grandma)

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Talena and Grandma Ivis, March 2016

I'll Remember for You

by Talena Winters

When I was young, you showed me how
to make bread
to sew
to knit
to crochet
to paint
to do puzzles
to colour within the lines
to make art with my letters
to play Rumikub
to see shapes in the clouds
to treasure family

Now, all I see is the slow fade
When you look at me, who do you see?

I see your mind being
stripped down to its
basic elements
You recite
your children's names
the kindness of your husband
the discord with your sister
your life on the farm
You still see shapes in the clouds

But mostly, you've forgotten
me
and all the things you taught me
And the events that made us a family
They might be fading into the dusty wallpaper
at the corners of your mind
But they will not be forgotten.

I will remember for you.