Sunsets

Father

Crossing
Life’s Melody
Shapeshifting
Losing Control
Your Last Chance
Dangerous Driving
James
A Father’s Invitation: A Sestina
At the Dentist
Bones
Flying
Parkinson’s Flight
Gliding
The Window
Feeding Yourself
The Caregiver
A Good Day
The Last Bed
MSA
Hospice

Mother

Mother’s Day
Triptych in Color
Pain
Skiing
Donut Holes
Alzheimer’s Dream
Beads
Wandering
Borders
Taking Flight
A Mother’s Love
Three Words
The Longest Good-Bye
Conjuring

Mourning

What Got Him Here
This Old Soldier
Changing Lanes
Memorium
A Widower’s Wish
Rewind
Navigare Vivere Est
Ode to My Father’s Nursing Home
The Sneeze
Awake in the Woods
The Gallery
Der Schrei

Acknowledgements

Caroline Johnson observed both of her parents suffer crippling illnesses such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Rheumatoid Arthritis in the 15 years she spent as family caregiver. During that time she wrote poetry as a way to grieve and celebrate their lives. This book is the culmination of that effort. She has published two poetry chapbooks, My Mother’s Artwork and Where the Street Ends, and more than 70 poems. Her awards include winning the 2012 Chicago Tribune’s Printers Row Poetry Contest, nominations for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, and prizes in state and national competitions. A former English teacher, she works as an academic advisor for a Chicago area community college. One of her favorite activities in the past was watching James Bond movies with her father, who served in the U.S. Air Force as a bomber pilot during the Cold War in the 1950s as part of the Strategic Air Command (SAC). Please visit www.caroline-johnson.com