Number six in a series that marks the journey of my mother’s Alzheimer’s. By 2007 by mom could no longer communicate. During this time there were still small indicators that she was present; a joyful smile or a pondering gaze. The dress is a nod to years of sewing together and her love for dancing. A fully constructed hand-stitched dress made from paper, newsprint and bookbinding material.. A poem created by poet and friend, Zac Stafford is hand stenciled on the inside.
I Am Still Here
by Zac Stafford
lest you forget,
I am still here.
another shadow,
another year.
another sting
another slap.
another reason I won’t
fight back.
another wrinkle
another fold.
another story
that won’t be told.
amongst those dusty
crevices
faces get lost
or were they hid?
from the sunshine
from the rain
without a thought
of love or pain
so raise your glass
and kiss the air
and ask out loud
are you still there?