To deal with my emotions as caregiver for a loved one, I have started writing short poems, inspired by Haiku. Traditional Japanese Haiku follows strict rules—which I surely do not. But writing when emotions bubble up has been, for me, a way to feel better. 

For my Kathleen by Bob M. 

an affliction can dim
the brightest eyes

shadows lengthen
vitality ebbs
late summer 

what was once is now memory 
what will come is now dread
which is stronger?
the memory or the dread 

a bucket list not shared
is in the end
an empty bucket 

despair erodes memories
of the good times
and makes them suspect 

to love wholeheartedly
is to risk wholeheartedly
and ultimately to lose wholeheartedly 

To ask why? is useless
the answer always turns up 
just because… 

to be vulnerable
is to be
human

if all else fails
endure 

even the sunflower
at its end
enriches… 

the beauty of a walk together
so rich and fulfilling
a shared life

the power of a photograph
stirs memories deep and still
a smile, a nod, a tear

in the end
all we have
is each other

we long for times now gone
not realizing
they live forever in our memories

a journey shared
never ends

memories are not fleeting
they live in us to the end
so choose wisely

love and loss
pleasure and pain
a full life