She feels overwhelmed
knowing that the love of her life
doesn't always remember that
for the last fifty years
she has been his devoted wife.

Each day she sticks to the
usual routine.
She fixes his coffee,
two sugars with a splash of cream.

They sit on the porch and watch
the horses across graze and swish their tails.
They sip their coffee,
Then walk to the mailbox to get the mail.

He speaks of a time that seems
like yesterday.
She encourages him to say whatever
he wishes to say.

Words get stuck in that moment in time,
his frustration is there
but she pats his hand to
assure him everything will be fine.

She holds him close when in a thought
he has a moment of lucidity.
He struggles often to remember
the young man that he used to be.

She remembers the soldier who
whose smile melted her heart.
The man who returned from war
ready to make a fresh start.

She remembers tears of joy
in his ocean blue eyes
when their firstborn
let out a big healthy cry.

The night their daughter
went on her first date.
He paced the floor because
she was five minutes late.

The years have gone by
too damn fast!
She wished she had known then
how to get them to last.

Each time he remembers and
calls her by her name.
Her heart always melts just like
it did that first day.

She kisses him gently as she
helps him to bed.
He takes her hand like
he had done since the
night they were wed.

"I love you my dearest
and best friend,"
With that he squeezes her hand
showing her that true
love never ever ends.








© Morgan West