The Longest Goodbye
Written by Kelly Ann Wilson

Sometimes, as people get older
They start to forget

They forget where they put their keys
They forget what day of the week it is

Maybe it’s little things like that
At first

Then, they can't quite remember a word
When they were a teacher
Who taught children to read

Then, they just can't seem to find
Their way home
And so, they wander around the streets of town
For a little while

I watched it happen
To my relatives over the years
I know what's coming

I got the test
I know the disease lives in my body 
Waiting

There were so many times
When I left my grandma 
That I tried to make it a special goodbye 
One I could hold onto

I said goodbye over and over
Not knowing if she’d know who I was
The next time I said hello

We came to anxiously look for
The smallest response
When she would open her eyes
When she would say our name

Anytime we could catch a glimpse
Of who she was
Again

I looked at her wondering
Where she was
Already in some place
That felt so far away

Could she hear me singing
To her softly
The songs we used to play

And even now, after all these years
I’m left here asking why

Those who know, we know
It is the longest goodbye

Written September 11, 2023
© 2023 Kelly Ann Wilson