More from the Barry Pankhurst collection.

One of the many problems with living in a foreign country when you have dementia can be having to also readjust your mind with all the differences in customs, cultures, traditions, and the differences in language which can cause added stress to the condition.

Confusion ensues

Today my wife has been home, it’s her rest day

from our shop, I should say it’s nice to have her

bustling around me, but now the problems start,

She’s cleaning and tidying up the house, starting

to move things all around, now attacking at my table,

where I sit working, day in day out,

So I decided its best go outside, relax, and take in

some fresh air, but when I came back, to sit at my

table, what a nice surprise waiting for me, as nothing

could I find, yes it’s lovely to have you with me today

my darling, But,

Where are all my pencils and ball pens, and where are

my note pads for me to sit and write, where have all my

poems gone, and where are the dictionaries for my mind,

everything’s gone, it’s all out of my sight,

I know from within your eyes the table is now nice and

clear, But, Oh dear, Oh dear my love, you have so totally

confused me this day,

Now you’re sitting beside me talking, telling me all the

latest news, about a goat just born in our village, without

any legs but has two heads, that everyone is going to

look and see,

You’re getting so very excited, talking about this big event,

but the right words in English you can’t find, so now you’ve

switched to Indonesian, and then telling me the same thing

in Javanese,

No, stop, stop, stop not in three languages please, as my

head is spinning, going round and round, all the languages

mixing together inside my head, or has someone turned

on a blender in my brain,

Yes my wife it’s lovely you are by my side today, but

one thing is now very clear in my mind,

Confusion ensues all around.

Barry November 2006

Obsessions

Oh what’s happening within my life, as nothing around

seems to be right, my trousers are too tight, and then they’re

too loose, the belts are too wide, so they wont fit through the

loops, my shirts are the wrong colours, and why have they

got long sleeves, now my hats are all wrong, and why do

I need so many pairs of shoes,

The food tastes terrible no matter what I eat, yet my

taste buds are craving for delectable treats, the sun’s

scorching bright, yet why am I feeling so cold, so I’m

wearing two jumpers as to ward off the snow, I’ve

brushed my hair a dozen times, yet it’s still not as I like,

but should the parting be on the left or the right,

Now I must have those ball pens, but I don’t know why,

since no longer do I sit and write, then the clothes in my

wardrobe I really must change, as within my eyes they all

look the same, and I must buy those new trainers, in case

I go out jogging tonight, so I’d best have an umbrella,

just in case it rains,

The television’s now rubbish, no matter what I watch, so

should we think about buying a new TV, and when you

go shopping can you buy a new clock, as I’ve lost the sight

of time, now you want to sit talking telling me about your

day, yet I sit with tight lips, and a frown, as I’m scared my

words will be mumbled to confound,

Oh obsessions, obsessions, as now nothing is right today.

Barry August 2009

I do not have a clue

I want to scream, I want to shout out,

smash a dish, let all my feelings be felt,