To Alex at 3 a.m.

Demented baby, Daddy-held
Disoriented, labile mood, dysarthric cry

But behind clear eyes neurons myelinate
Donning long pants for the long day

Yet

All too soon neuronal antibodies find their prey
(You are your own worst enemy)
Aluminum and amyloid accumulate
Fibrils tangle

Dementia comes full spiral
A little old man cries in the night
And who will hold you then?

Proposal

I am afraid of being poor
You fear the darker nights
I tense before a stranger's door
You're terrified of heights

I dread the ache of lonely days
You're timid in a crowd
I'm phobic of a barren phase
You shrink from seeming loud

I fear the future, you the now
I compliments, you jeers
I the why and you the how
Your anger and my tears

Thy fears make me protective
And mine may make you strong
Though singly we're defective
Combined, we'll get along.

By William Goldsmith, MD

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