Skin as thin as paper,
Bone as brittle as twigs,
Minds that wander
And memories that fail.
Unsteady gaits,
And shaky hands.
Thin, white hair
Frames their faces,
Which you may say
Are expressionless.
You may see them, unmoving,
And deem them bored, lifeless,
Miserable.
You may see them
As shells of who they once were
And assume their spirit
No longer lingers with passion.
But you do not see them
Through our eyes,
Caregivers’ eyes,
We see so much more.
We see bodies tired and worn
From a lifetime of accomplishments
And minds and souls still
Pushing to hold on.
We see the look in their eyes
That tells us
Whether they are thinking,
Worrying, content,
Or satisfied.
We see their smiles,
Shy, petite, broad or sincere.
We hear their quiet laughter,
Their sighs of delight.
We see their tears of frustration
That their body doesn’t
Soar like their minds, souls, and hearts
Desire.
We see the experiences they’ve
Overcome and their humble pride.
We see much more than shells of humans.
We see individual people
That have endured what
We cannot imagine,
And have wisdom
Beyond our education.
We see people that deserve
Our respect.
Age 17
Bone as brittle as twigs,
Minds that wander
And memories that fail.
Unsteady gaits,
And shaky hands.
Thin, white hair
Frames their faces,
Which you may say
Are expressionless.
You may see them, unmoving,
And deem them bored, lifeless,
Miserable.
You may see them
As shells of who they once were
And assume their spirit
No longer lingers with passion.
But you do not see them
Through our eyes,
Caregivers’ eyes,
We see so much more.
We see bodies tired and worn
From a lifetime of accomplishments
And minds and souls still
Pushing to hold on.
We see the look in their eyes
That tells us
Whether they are thinking,
Worrying, content,
Or satisfied.
We see their smiles,
Shy, petite, broad or sincere.
We hear their quiet laughter,
Their sighs of delight.
We see their tears of frustration
That their body doesn’t
Soar like their minds, souls, and hearts
Desire.
We see the experiences they’ve
Overcome and their humble pride.
We see much more than shells of humans.
We see individual people
That have endured what
We cannot imagine,
And have wisdom
Beyond our education.
We see people that deserve
Our respect.
Age 17