The soldier who wore gray,
Lay still in front of me,
There was no more reason left to stay,
The color he had worn ceased to be,
And the only thing left was his shadow of gray.
For many years he carried me,
Through trials, and storms and agony,
For many years I carried him completely,
Though he never realized my sustainability.
But from down the aisle, to down the block,
We had walked together in quiet harmony,
And though he thought he was our rock,
He was nothing short of constant calamity.
From the Solomon Islands, to the shores of home,
He kept his distance from the setting sun,
From the time I was born, he was never alone,
But now, in gray, his life was done.
He was frail and chiseled, his bones shone through,
A regalness I witnessed upon his face.
I was paralyzed in grief, there was nothing left to do,
But to bury the soldier in gray time would never erase.
{for my father, who died after a seizure from complications due to brain surgery. He had lewy body dementia, Dementia, Parkinson’s Disease, a brain tumor and had a stroke. It was the honor of my mother and I to care for him for seven years. Since my traumatic brain injury in 2010, from a car accident, I have found myself drawing on those years for strength, understanding and endurance. I now know what it must have been like for my father. I forgive him unconditionally and love him more now than I ever knew I could, in the way I always wanted.)
About janicetindle.com
NOTICE:
NOTHING, and I mean NOTHING, from my website janicetindle.com may be use without a request in writing to me. Permission, if granted, will be done in writing. Failure to do so will result in possible prosecution. I am the sole owner of my words and at point of publication on this site it is copyrighted as mine. - copyright 2012 Janice Tindle
In 2010, I suffered a traumatic brain injury and other injuries when hit by an under insured driver. It changed my life. I now live with Dystonia, a rare and painful neurologal disorder that causes involuntary muscle spasms and abnormal posturing. There is no treatment or cure. The best one can do is treat the symptoms. You can learn more at DMRF.org.
I try to write about people and things that help and inspire my readers. You can find more of my story by going to helphopelive.org. I am also on Facebook, where I have five pages, Pain Brain -Anti- Inflammatory Foods, Brain Tears, The Positive Posters Page, Traumatic Brain Injury Resources Page, Janice Tindle- Writer. I am also on Twitter and LinkedIn. Simply Google my name and my published articles should appear. I've been published in Fearless Caregiver, Today's Caregiver, TBI Hope and Inspiration Magazine, The Mighty.com, and several other publications.
I am currently a caregiver for my dear mother. My hope is to someday finish my books, "Get Back Up!" and "Galicia's Granite" during my mother's lifetime.
Your interest in my care, recovery and writing is greatly appreciated. Thank you. Comments are welcome.
janicetindle 
Thank you Scott.
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Thank you Luke.
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A sad and powerful poem of love. People who touched our life with kindness and wisdom are never forgotten. I like the way you expressed memories and thoughts in the poem. A excellent poem.
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Very touching! Thank you for your honesty!
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Thank you John.
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Thank you Jane.
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