After a Stroke: When Words Fail Us

Gwen 7 months ago

My mother had Parkinson's Disease, not a stroke, but the illness robbed her of the ability to formulate and articulate meaningful sentences. She often sat rigid and silent, like a stone, except for a soulful look in her eyes that belied the physical evidence. Growing up in the 1930s and 40s, Mom was taught to memorize poetry in her English classes, a practice that was common back then. She developed a lifelong love of poetry. Many a night after dinner, we would position Mom in a comfortable chair, propped on both sides with pillows, and take out a small stack of poetry anthologies. My husband, Harout, who has a beautiful reading voice, would start off the evening by reciting the first line of one of Mom's favorite poems. Quietly, almost imperceptibly, Mom would respond by reciting the second line back to her. Then Harout would take up the ball, so to speak, and recite the thrid line. And so it went, back and forth, till the poem was done. Mom's memory for her beloved poetry was astounding. I like to think our little "game" brought Mom as much pleasure as it gave me. In a world where rigidity reigns, the lilt and motion of that old familiar territory made it almost seem as if Mom was back in the old days, when she could race along on her bicycle, swim at the Y, or dance to her hearts content. -Gwen