Baba Poem by Jayati Chowdhury

My heart swells with grief
When I think of you,
How you have been before
And now, alas! how are you...

Ever since I remember
Your strong hands cuddling me
My hero, the first man in my life -
That’s how I have always adored you

You don’t remember
My first love letter that you read
We laughed to our heart’s content
While Ma glared at us with rage.

To do or not to do -
The dilemma you were part of
Together we had resolved
Issues unnumbered.

You don’t remember how sad you were
The following day of my wedding.
I still recall your weeping eyes
When you bade me farewell.

You don’t remember how excited you were
To see your grandchild cackling and giggling.
The joy that was mirrored in your eyes
Seems to have gone astray.

You don’t remember our struggle -
To keep your memory alive
Devastated we are
To see you wilting away

It stabs me to ruminate
You smile at me not knowing who am I
I know at times you look at me
But your eyes reflect no emotion.

I cry aloud at times, ‘Baba, Baba…’
It reverberates without any response
Your smell, your touch, and you look the same
Although amidst us, yet you are far, far away…

We are waiting for that miracle -
When Alzheimer's patients like you
Will come out of that trance
And be ‘the Baba’ I knew.