All My Friends Have Gone To God

Would you like to see a picture?
It was taken so long ago
That's me there in the middle
Amongst some friends I used to know

Now, let's see, where were we?
I can't remember what I was saying
Sometimes my mind deceives me
I'm tired of the games it's playing

People seldom come to visit
Most days move far too slow
As I look through these photographs
Of the people I used to know

All my friends have gone to God
And I am in his waiting room
My first class flight to heaven
It should be sometime soon

Would you like to see a picture?
It was taken so long ago
That's me there in the middle
Amongst some friends I used to know

* * *

I am a volunteer carer for the elderly
and I have been visiting an 84 year old
lady in her home for the past year. She
is in the early stages of dementia and
over time I have watched her condition
deteriorate. During our weekly conversations
she often tells me that all her friends have
gone to God which really saddens me.

* * *

Dementia ~ a chronic or persistent medical
disorder characterized by loss of memory
and forgetfulness.

It's a really beautiful poem

Beautiful lyric. My great-grandmother is suffering from dementia, and what saddens me the most is that she can't remember any of us. She talks about death and God and such, to the point when sometimes it's too painful to listen. Anyway, I can imagine this song sung over a hauntingly melancholic piano line. Did you ever see the music video for Johnny Cash's cover of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt"? Most people I talked to about it confessed to being near tears while watching it, and I imagine this poem to music would generate a similar effect.

Suetang, your poem made me cry. Two days ago one of my friends went to God and I really loved her.She was much older than me, but one of the people that are forever young in their hearts and minds. But when the lady you know talks of going to God..and when your grandmother talks of going to God, Gatsby, though you see only their departure, for them it may be a destination they are looking forward to going, where there is no more suffering and pain, no more problems or sorrow or loneliness - but only love and being reunited with their friends. It depends on how you look at it doesnt' it..whether from your view of coming loss, or from their view of a journey to a better place. I love this poem, I really think its great Suetang and you should do something with it. I think it's really beautiful as psycho warrior says. I will miss my friend for the rest of my life here, but one day I will go to her. She is at rest now and in a much better place - tis just the hearts that break, being left behind.

sycho warrior - thank you so much for reading this.

Gatsby - I can only imagine what you and your family must be going through and I was so very humbled by your lovely comment. I don't know of the Johnny Cash song you speak of but I will try to find it.

Miranda - I am so sorry for your loss. Your lovely comment had me in tears and I am so grateful for your words. I often read poetry to this lady when I visit and she really enjoys it. I also take her some books I have which have many inspirational quotes and beautiful pictures and she gets so much out of them. It is so true when people say that it is the simplest things in life that mean the most. I find volunteer work very rewarding.

Thanks again for your kindness.

Take care........Sue

Yea Sue,I agree with what others say about your poem
U know, your poem seems so close to the finest feeling of ur life.
U always write poem that touches my heart in the way I can not deny

A great poem as always... I work every summer at an old folks home and it is very sad to see them waste away. some stare out the window all day and say nothing, some sit in theyr room and shout Hello every 10 seconds. You can see the emptyness in their eye's, it's very sad.

one 95 year old woman is very nice to me and I se her as much as I can and just listen to her talk, I think you are doing a good and important work when you see that old lady, Sue!!

Avalive

Your words humble me greatly and I am so very grateful for such a heartfelt comment.

Helga

Yes, being old can be so very sad. I actually visit two elderly ladies every Friday. One is more independant than the other. I read poetry to the lady who has dementia and she really likes it. I also give her little books with inspirational quotes to read and she loves them. I figure that if I can make the slightest bit of difference to her life, then I have really achieved something.

Thanks again for your wonderful comments.

Take care...........Sue

I have nothing to add to what the others said cos I'd just repeat what they said...
One thought I want to express: when reading the poem I didn't like the fact that the last stanza was a repetition of the first one, cos it made the poem too 'circular' if this makes sense...but after a few seconds I realised it's actually ingenious!!! Old people end up repeating the same thing over and over, forgetting that they have said that already... It's like the person is starting the topic again cos she forgot... Suetang, was this intentional, or you just decided to repeat those lines without realising that it feels like a real feature of the elderly? (sometimes it happens to write something that's smarter than we thought but we don't realise...)

Koa

Firstly, thank you so much for your reply. I can honestly say that I repeated the first verse to be the same as the last intentionally. I am actually in the process of witnessing an old lady who has dementia and I visit her for two hours every Friday. During the course of our conversations she repeats herself many times over without even realising she is doing it. I thought it was important to show this in my poem and that is why the first and last verse are the same.

Thanks again for your comment which was so very much appreciated.

Take care........Sue

Ok thanks for the explanation... I understand and it was a really clever way to add meaning to the poem :)