Every once in a while I have a smart spell
And remember why I walked into a room
Or what you said ten minutes ago.
Every once in a while
I can pick out groceries
With people talking behind me and music overhead.
Sometimes I can think after sundown,
Or know where we keep the vacuum cleaner bags,
Or come up with a clever line,
Or remember the name of the guy that used to have the mail route,
Or get all ten trivia questions right.
It comes as a pleasant surprise,
A gift,
Like an unexpected rainbow
Or a cardinal at the feeder;
And like the rainbow and the bird,
It’s sweet but brief.

I used to see these interludes
As cruel reminders of who I used to be;
I wasted them on bitterness
And sometimes I still do.
I work hard now to twist the focus away from me,
To accept the gifts with quiet joy,
To know that God’s still good
And it won’t rain all the time.