Before you forget, read this poem

Jan. 19, 2026

By Sue Shaw

Forgot!

I can remember just enough

To know that I forgot!

But even though I concentrate

I can’t come up with WHAT!

I know that when I came here…

When I walked into this room,

I was on a mission,

But that thought’s gone!  Just…BOOM!

Folks in my age bracket…

We all worry and we fret…

I must confess

That we obsess

‘Bout starting to forget!

We play a lot of word games

We make puzzles and try tricks…

We try to train

Our aging brain

And hope that something sticks!

One memory issue that we share…

Is, we cannot recall…

Names of new acquaintances…

They don’t imprint at all!

You meet them Monday morning…

Have lunch and share a table…

But next week when you meet again

You can’t recall a label!

We make lists…and lists of lists…

Fill blocks on a calendar page…

Going to town?

Best write it down!

Make schedules as we age!

We should own stock in Post-it Notes…

We stick them everywhere!

We’ve learned to lean on crutches,

But really…let’s be fair…

‘Cause my mind set is that I’m OK…               

Not in a danger spot…

For when you come down to it,

I remember I forgot!

—Shaw lives in Penobscot.

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