New Poetry by Shirley Bell…….

Several Tests of Dementia Severity*

100      and all is clear and transparent
 I know my name
93         my name is  isador browne  ansell  muth  matio finnerty
an artificial construct  legion or noigel  even
86        this is a watch and this is a pencil
with the pencil I draw a watch face
79        it is the 26th november 2012  it is 11.15 am
on a fine spring day in 2012  in autumn
72        I have told you this
no ifs ands or buts
65        I read close your eyes  and
I close my eyes no read it
59 no 58          what is your name I write what is your name
but you will not answer
51        and is a table like an orange like a dog
I live in this dlrow which is world backwards
44 and 37        say the objects
the objects
37 or 44 did I pass
you are  you you cannot pass or fail
30        I I  I say the world is creeping away
it is the dlrow now
23        is a banana like a bookcase and a horse
what is your name  what is my name
23        I close my eyes
I do not want to read
23        no buts or ands or ifs
it is 16.15 on a dark day in November  or 15.16
16 /9    in 2012 which I write with my pencil
while consulting my watch
2  I draw on my watch with my licnep
0 I have no nam



**www.stanford.edu/~ashford/MMSgenealogy/Several%20tests.doc