A Video Treasure Find Poem by Bill Galvin

Today I powered up the cell phone
You used up till you lost ability to move.
I had disabled it and taken it off line
About two years ago,
When the ALS began stripping you
Of self reliance and self determination
Beginning with your hands and arms.
Loss of manipulation, then mobility,
Ultimately speech;
A complete closure to communication
And intimate contact with the known world,
Was the route you had to follow.

Like a road to nowhere;
A road where the pavement narrows,
Ever so subtly, but inexorably;
It becomes single lane, with sharper corners;
Then drops off to coarse gravel,
And the dirt becomes filled with potholes,
And the bushes grow inwards
And begin choking off visibility;
And you see by the lack of tracks
Not many have come this way before,
Till, painfully, toward the end of this
Fear-choked and tear-soaked road,
You find there is no turn around;
No way back from the middle of nowhere.

But, you, My Dear, were the bravest of travelers.
You dealt with all dangers and hazards
With utmost grace and dignity,
You have left that legacy with us; and for us.
Those of us who knew you a very long time
Were not surprised at all.
- - - - - -
So, you made a narrated video a year before,
And you filmed our home outside; showing off gardens,
And plantings, and the comfort that it meant to you.
It’s not fancy, but it’s all we needed.
You were so proud to make this to show
Relatives from away and invite them back here.
And your sister and I were so thrilled,
As we watched this, the only video you ever made;
To be reminded of the cheerful, confident woman you were.

I am so happy to hear that lovely voice again.
This recording will be a lifelong cherished treasure.

4-15-2015