Freshman Anna Forslund enjoys writing on her own time, and in the poem below, titled “Love Story,” Forslund tells the story of her great grandma and grandpa’s love. Forslund adds more in the writer’s note below.
“My great grandma died last year on Wednesday January 7th, 2015,” Forslund said. “She was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s around three to four years before. My grandparent’s love story isn’t like most love poems you read, but I think it shows what real love is about. They taught me that love does not make life easy, but a life without love is not worth living.”
“Love Story” – Anna Forslund
They were only three months apart
93 and 92
She had a heart of gold
She smiled a warm, caring smile
And if you looked closely you could see the wisdom and love in her eyes
She had a quiet but comforting energy
That you could feel even in the silence
They were only three months apart
93 and 92
He had a heart full of opinions
He would voice them strongly and confidently
But at the end of the day, he cared about the people that he loves
He would do anything to protect them
He knows right from wrong and he would act upon it
(Even if that meant fighting fire with fire)
He was full of integrity
As long as you were on his good side
He would do anything to protect you and would always show his love through his actions
They were only three months apart
93 and 92
She was older but he didn’t care
He saw the soul inside and that is all that mattered
She balanced him and she brought peace in the gentlest and most graceful way that you could imagine
Together they were happy
Together they were balanced
Together they were loyal
And together there was care and love
Even when looks faded
His gut didn’t fail him about who she was inside
And he always tried to be the man that she deserved
Even when looks faded
She never disappointed him
And her patient, humble, warm, tender heart kept on loving with kindness and understanding
They were only three months apart
93 and 92
She looked at the world with curiosity and wonder
She saw people with optimism, sympathy, and charity
She believed in goodness and selflessness
He looked at her, for she was his world and she kept him sane
He saw people for who they truly were inside; good or bad
He believed in honesty and integrity, and wouldn’t tolerate anything less
He brought justice and she brought compassion
He had the voice and she would listen intuitively
They grew together
And made one another stronger and better than the day before
They never failed each other
They were only three months apart
93 and 92
He was the luckiest man in the world
And everyday that would pass, he wouldn’t feel unblessed
She brought hope and harmony wherever she went
Without saying a single word
They were only three months apart
93 and 92
After over 55 years of marriage
Things started to change
She became ill with Alzheimer’s, which has no cure
And he could not do anything to save her
He felt awful, mostly because he could not stop the most wonderful person from losing her memory
All he could do was show his love and support for her, and never stop
Since they lived in an old folks home
They were forced to live in separate rooms because she needed more care
The rooms were at the opposite sides of the building
He would go there everyday
It took awhile but just to see her for the little time he had
Even though she didn’t know who he was.
And that hurt him deeply; he still loved her even when it brought him the greatest pain
All he wanted was for her to be happy and feel like she was cared about
He would bring her flowers, because he knew she loved nature and that she hated that she could not go outside
She stayed the same and continued to be warm, kind, and gentle
He would go out of his way to support her and he knew that she was capable of realizing it
He loved her so much and she loved him but couldn’t remember it.
When he would enter her room, the woman that he has loved for all of his life…
She would see, what she thought was a stranger, walk in and say he was her husband
She saw the hurt in his eyes, but she didn’t know that it was because she could not remember him
But she could not do anything but show that she loves and is compassionate for him
And just because she couldn’t remember him doesn’t mean that she did not care about him any less (but just not more than any other)
They were only three months apart
93 and 92
He is a man with opinions but at the end of the day his actions spoke louder
She was a woman with a heart of gold and stayed that way until the end
And together there was balance and harmony which brought love