Behind your vacant stare,Memories lie hidden,Faltering and fleetingThe distant remembered,The present, unrecallable.

Never afraid beforeShadows of freshly plastered seamsOn my living room wall,Now haunt you, transporting youBack to the barbed-wire camps.

So vividly you recallYour Nazi captors,And your escapeYet, it is my name thatEscapes you now.

Your smooth fingers glide nimblyOver the piano keys.You are at peace;Lost in reveries,Only to wake upTo a confused reality.

Although your memory is extinguishing,On your delicate face,A smile has found a permanent home.Your gentle touch, warm eyesStill illuminate my heart.

Hands joined, ancient and innocentFloat together on waves of love.