Memories of my Mother

My mother has Alzheimer’s disease

In moments of tranquility,
I remember her hands
holding a stiff bristled hairbrush
as she prepared to brush
my long auburn locks;
my brown hair had a reddish cast
which darkened as I matured.

I remember her smile,
as I attempted to tie my Oxfords
too stubborn to ask for help
or admit
I could not get the shoelaces
to hold a proper bow.

Mother
always made sure I was safe
without preventing me
from making my own mistakes;
I remember
the soft strokes of her fingers
as she wiped
the tears from my eyes.

I remember the stories
she read to me at night,
I was the first child
she carried full term
and now
in her ninetieth year
our positions are reversed.

Line count: 28
Form: Free verse is an irregular poetry form. This form is free of the traditional rules of verse such as fixed meter and rhyme.