But That Was Only the Beginning

For a little while,
Only old people
Lost their memories,
But the disease spread,
Younger and younger.

Those who could read well
Held out the longest.
Either reading helped
Slow the disease or
Simply served backup.

If you couldn’t read,
You had no crutches
For your fading thoughts.
And then it got bad.
It all fell apart,

And everyone starved,
Gabbling and frightened.
One woman was left,
Young when it started,
Old before it stopped,

Who could remember.
That woman was me,
And that’s why
I’m called Memory.
I have to leave soon.