Emily’s life took a series of up’s and downs,
A lot of happiness and some frowns.
Dementia is cruel, her life is crumbling away,
Here in this room is where she wishes to stay.

She see’s people who come and people who go,
Some she would recognise, most she doesn’t know.
She dare not look out of her window pane,
As people she thinks are staring back again.

So here Emily sits with curtains drawn,
You may think she’s sad and all forlorn.
She doesn’t like listening to radio or TV,
But imagines her life as she wants it to be!

Life passes by in her little twilight room,
This is where she lives, in her own cocoon.
She’d say, “it’s good to see you, do you live far?
How long does it take to travel here by car”.

One afternoon a friend came for her to see,
Emily said “please sit down, I’ll make a cup of tea”.
But the kitchen was actually her bathroom as she would find,
Reality now confused her - so unkind!

Of all the photo albums she’d been shown,
Reminiscing over folks that she had known.
There are faces, some forgotten, but some bring on a smile,
A glimmer of recognition, not seen for quite a while.

An afternoon visit with tea and cakes,
Playing dominoes and jigsaws to see what we could make.
The time would come for us to say our goodbyes,
She’d say, “I’ll come with you now”, determination in her eyes.

One day soon we’ll take her out for a drive.
Visiting some places in the countryside.
Stopping at a café, maybe tea for ‘three’,
Cakes and scones like it used to be.

So for all those who know an Emily, this might relate to you,
Don’t forget to visit your loved ones, whatever you do.
They live day in, day out, week in, week out, month in, month out, year in year out,
In their little twilight rooms, but not forgotten about.