Of the Fates that Await Me

Of the fates that await me
I can stomach all but one
To stare at a mirrored visage
And find that I recognize no one
That I am no longer myself
With no idea where I am
How did I come to be in this place?
And what’s worse, knowing all that, and simply not give a damn

To feel myself slipping away
One day here and then gone the next
To know I’m losing my faculties
And pray that no one suspects
For who am I if not myself?
My ideas, my thoughts, and my dreams
My body is still here but my mind is going
No aspect of life is more mean

I know my knees will fail me
My back will no longer support
My eyes may go all together
But losing my mind is what I fear the most
For if though my body goes
In my mind, I'm still me
I’ll stay sharp, I’ll observe, I’ll understand everything
My creativity will help keep me free

But if I no longer have my wits about me
There I will no longer be
My physical self is not who I am
I am more than what others may see

I look at those who go on before
And I pray dear God don’t let that be me
Take my body away and leave my true self
As in all things, I must wait and see