MAPLE SYRUP SADNESS by Ann Favreau

 

Vladimir Srajber

MAPLE SYRUP SADNESS

I’m awake in the middle of the night again.

Grab my glasses, book, and then

I head to the living room to read.

As I make my way, my thoughts stray.

Sadness comes.

I don’t cry but try to put the thoughts away.

His essence is slipping drop by drop,

like the maple syrup at the bottom of the jug,  

Thick, smooth, sticking to the edge of the lip

before it falls.

I hold on, waiting, not wanting to waste any of it,

the sweetness that fills my soul,

the hugs, his fluid words of love.

I banish the aggravation of repetitions. 

Dismiss illogical declarations.

Employ compassionate lying.

Now it’s the middle of the evening.

Reading will help mask the feeling

of my maple syrup sadness.

Until I finally fall asleep, 

knowing that I’ll keep and savor 

his fleeting intellect  

for at least another day.

Published in Life Under Construction, A Caregiver’s Journey Through Dementia (2025)

© Ann Favreau

Ann Favreau

Ann Favreau is a retired educator who lives in Venice, FL.  She is President of the Suncoast Writer Guild, Inc. She has self-published eight books, gives presentations to local women’s groups and loves sharing her work with others.

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