I am not sure of the author of this peom but thank you Roni for sharing it with me...

The song of the birds, I cannot hear,

The flowers, I cannot smell,

I cannot remeber, the ones that I loved,

And things that I knew so well,

I cannot see the wondrous sights,

My eyes no longer can see,

The setting sun, the stars at night,

The beauty of a tree,

I cannot cry, I have no tears,

And yet my heart is filled with fears,

I cannot speak as I did before,

The world that I knew is no more,

I know no difference between day and night,

I cannot tell the wrongs from right,

I long to feel the tender touch,

Of someone to light the way,

Someone to lead me out of my world,

And turn the night into day,

I need a strong and gentle hand,

Someone who understands,

Somone who will guide me,

Out of these strange and distant lands.

I can remember when my dad first started having memory loss, confusion and difficulty with basic mathematics, I was a sophmore in college.  I came home one weekend and he told me he was scared of what was happening to him.  He assured me though, that he was tough and this wouldn't get the best of him.  Looking back I guess I believed him...I never thought something actually would.  As his disease progressed, his symptoms got worse.  I continued to stay in this state of denial, I just really didn't believe he was dying.  I still cannot begin to grasp the fact he is gone.  August 26th, 2006 was the first time my dad really didn't know who I was.  All I wanted was to say, "Hi Dad" and to have him smile.  I wanted so much for him to tell me he loved me or to act sad that I was leaving for MI.  But he never did...  I started crying but did my best to hide it from my family.  I just couldn't believe he didn't know me, his princess, one of the most important people in the world to him.  How could he have not known who I was????  A part of me just can't and won't accept that!  I know in my heart that my Dad could understand a lot more than what most thought.  I will ALWAYS believe that he needed me/waited for my arrivial for his departure.  I know for certain he recognized my voice on the phone when I called, looked forward to my visits and hated to see me leave, loved me even if he couldn't say the word love clearly, and knew I was holding his hand when he passed.  Encourage a cure/treatment for this disease with a zero percent survivial rate!