Laughter

My husband of 62 years passed away on February 6, 2009. He was just a few months shy of 90 years old.

He fought Alzheimer's Disease for almost five years. As he slipped away, I penned the poem below.

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LAUGHTER

This man, this wonderful man, that for many years

Has lived with me, and together we built a great life.

This man, with whom I shared everything,

The sorrows and the joys, the laughter and the tears.

But now, now, he does not laugh any more.

The first years when the babies came, how we loved all that.
And the middle years as we watched them grow up,
The fun times, the jokes, the trips, and some hard times.

Life has stolen much from him.
The ability to think, and to do so much.
The ability to share wonderful jokes.

But now, he does not laugh any more.

He does not see the humor any more, and there must be humor.

And laughter to get through the rough times.

But now, he does not laugh any more.
Each year takes much away,

The agility, the good looks, the ability to think,

But the worst thing to lose is

Laughter.