Two poems by John Paul Lederach about his wife and her recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.
"Quivering" by John Paul Lederach
i.
Her hand started shaking
And wouldn’t stop.
Life changed forever.
Aspen leaves
In an endless wind.
Our hearts followed suit.
ii.
"Do I have that stare?" she asked one day.
No, your eyes are still
Deep oceans of green.
Always will be.
No. Your still here.
No. You’re still.
iii.
We bought books.
Ten of them.
We never read past chapter three.
We were not interested
In the moral of the story —
Preferred just waiting
on the page before us.
iv.
Trolling off the side of the boat
Her rod caught more trout than anyone.
“You see”
She laughed.
“Shakes are good!”
v.
Chronic.
Progressive.
No exit in sight.
We are learning to live
Alongside the dragon and tiger.
“Let’s go and see what happens,”
She always said.
"Parkinson’s Cycle"" by John Paul Lederach
Medicine in.
Tears out.
Salty life rolls on.
© John Paul Lederach. These poems are reprinted with permission of the author.
