My first volume of poetry Love, Life, Loss, A Roller Coaster of Poetry is now available and you can order via my Contact Form. It is a beautiful hard cover book with 88 poems. Some are not for the faint hearted, but they tell a few of the stories of my life, and other things too. One poem (the 88th) was written for me by my best friend Jacinta, and I have included it because it encompasses our love and friendship beautifully. Love Life Loss A roller coaster of poetry_ order form 2013
This is my National Poem Writing Month 2013 challenge, a collection of 30 haikus for the month of April.
Below is a collection of poems I have written over the years, quite a few of them have been published, plus many new ones.
Stolen dreams
Our dreams are stolen
By the world of dementia
One by one they go
Crying alone
With losses so great
So many hidden from you
We must cry alone
Losses
So small yet so sad
Tragic incremental deaths
Of all our functions
Dreams
One day they are there
The next day they start to fade
Disappearing dreams
Losing my mind
I’m losing my mind
Down dementia lane
Life is leaving me behind
So unfair, so unkind
And so little to gain
I’m losing my mind
Somehow I must find
An end to this pain
Life is leaving me behind
Everyone’s so kind
And though I seem sane
I’m losing my mind
To find a way to rewind
The direction of this train
Life is leaving me behind
I pray they will find
A cure for my brain
I’m losing my mind
Life is leaving me behind
Slipping away
Life slipping away
Terrified one day soon
I won’t know my children
Life slipping away
Mortified one day soon
I won’t know my husband
Life slipping away
Disbelief one day soon
I won’t know my family
Life slipping away
Angry one day soon
I won’t know my friends
Life slipping away
Humiliated one day soon
I won’t know how to drive
Life slipping away
Despairing one day soon
I won’t know who I am
Kate Swaffer © 2008
This won 2nd prize in a UniSA poetry competition in 2008, and has been published.
Stolen Dreams © 2008
stolen dreams smashed against a solid brick wall
disappearing into nothingness feeling
cheated angry deeply sad
the six words that created my new world
what bad luck you have dementia
this train is racing down a one way lane
no chance to get off no chance of anyone getting on
never to return to the place I once knew
tears escaping from swollen eyes down blotchy cheeks
the taste of salt a permanent flavour
my soul mate angry and crying both feeling cheated
we were two sides of the same coin
knowing each other intimately and completely
best mates and passionately in love
aware of each other’s thoughts before they were spoken
conscious of each other’s inner world sadness or joy
our new world is collapsing into one of fear and trepidation
somehow we must find the good in yet another crisis
our love will get us through it has before
but the effort will be gigantic
the world at the other end is too scary to think about
he said he will hate it when I forget who he is
then he said with a sense of despair
please don’t call me by your ex-husbands name
and at this we laughed out loud
even though the gravity of this new world
hit us between the eyes like a hot piercing needle
Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within … we will all, one day, be there, too!”
The best and most beautiful things of this world can’t be seen or touched. They must be felt by the heart.
Silence
It stalks, dares me to revolt
Signals me to sing or dance
To move with the faintest breath of wind
Silence… so much to share
So much noise, so many beautiful thoughts
Invites my mind to stand still
To ponder life
Create more than movement
A tranquil place to be
Kate Swaffer © 22 October 2011
Live lightly
Most of the suffering of animals
Mankind and the universe
Is caused by humans
Live so that in some way
So that ever so lightly
You may tip the scales
disAbled
I am able
To perform activities
Willing to operate
At my own level
I may be challenged
But I am capable
And operating
Not inoperative
I can function
And I am only restricted
By those around me
Who choose to dis me
Yes I am able
Capable and talented
Equipped to live
A worthwhile life
A brave new world
Geeks, nerds, bloggers and me
Plugins widgets tags akismets
A new world to marvel
Inspire, educate and engage
Speakers to cover all bases
Sunshine dancing and beer
Ripples of new dreams
Masses of motivation
This brave new world
Creating memories
Retaining memories
Blogging works for me
The Light
The candle flickers
I can see the light again
The darkness beginning to fade
Like the dark clouds of a storm rolling by
Cold, alone and dead
Seeing you lying there, cold and alone on a single narrow mortuary bed
Covered in the cloth of the dead, a pure white shroud
Wishing, hoping, praying that it was not really you
How did I know it was me the Priest had come to see?
My soul knew that you were gone, the sad emptiness that I felt,
Before I knew it was you, the knowing that you would never again smile.
Peering through a tiny window, wanting to touch your face, to kiss your lips,
To hold you in my arms. Just to feel you warm again
Oh my darling, why did you choose to die?
Kate Swaffer © 1987
Friends are forever (written for me by my friend Jacinta Lynch © 2009)
Friends are for laughing with
Friends are for crying with
Friends are for eating fritz sandwiches with
Friends are for having spaghetti on toast with
Friends are for sharing secrets with
Friends are for going away with
Friends are for having a wine with
Friends are for telling stories with
Friends are for sharing old photos with
Friends are for working with way back when
Friends are for being in one another’s lives
Friends are for making mistakes with
Friends are for reading with
Friends are for loving forever
Kate Swaffer © 2011/12/13 | Author, Poet, Chef. Advocate and activist for aged and dementia care. All rights reserved.
I really like the poem about friends
Thanks Christy. I’ll have a look at your site soon too.
Beautiful poetry, so open and honest.
Thank you Rachael
Kate,
Thank you for sharing your inner most thoughts and feelings! Your honesty is appreciated and I will always remember and reference others to your sight to have a better understanding of dementia that speaks from your heart and that is REAL! Thanks again.
Hi Kate, just re-read your poetry. They are very soul searching and so beautiful. I particularly like your friend poem. Hope it is OK with you if I send it to some of my friends. Hope and Love Robynx
Of course you can share my poems, but please reference them to me. I will have my first book or poetry published by February. The Friends poem was written by my beautiful long time first ever nursing girlfriend Jacinta, and I love it too. I’ll let her know you love it too, just in case she doesn’t read your comment about it. xx
WOW!!!!