Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

I tried to write a dementia poem

Mac Greene
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Drawing of baseball player in front of a pixelated mitt and ball against a background of silver sparkles

I tried to write…
Did I tell you already?
About the softball team
on my first job,
and I left my mitt
on the front seat
of my 1965 Chevy pickup
that I sold for a hundred fifty dollars
in Rappahannock County,
with the ball in the pocket
just like you’re supposed to.

Where was I?
I tried to write about losing …
my mitt? my softball? my truck?
my mind!
That’s a funny isn’t it?
Losing my way.
Losing our first home game
in front of your mother.
That’s not it.
Losing my marbles.
That’s a funny, too.

I tried …
to write …
about losing …
I tried.

Did I tell you?
About the softball
team on my first job?
I oiled the leather
just like you’re supposed to,
with the ball in the pocket.

I tried …
Did I tell you?
Did I?
about losing …


MAC GREENE is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Indianapolis. He is a general practitioner, with special expertise with teenagers, couples, and transgendered people. He started writing in 2006 as a solution to “the Empty Nest Before the Empty Nest,” when he was gradually relieved of being the family Beast of Burden (Bob). He is still surprised that he has six adult children and refers to the decades of running around with them as his Glory Years. He goes through each day looking for the little miracles that are all around all the time.

Fall 2018

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