David is bedridden. He sees himself in the shadows.  His emotions and wisdom emerge when he speaks in creative phrases or paints with one hand.  Creative arts and the challenge to use the imagination bring forth freedom that surpasses the body.  David can be “who he is” in spite of not having the physical capabilities to express the depths of the soul.  So much can be expressed not only with words that come out in poetry, but with color, and brushstrokes, and even the beat of a drum!

I sat down with James and we put a drum between our knees. James has a knack for coming up with rhyming words. We go back and forth tapping a couplets and rhyming with one another.

James: What are we going to do today?
Myself: I want to hear what you have to say.
James: I want to talk about the war.
Myself: Tell me a story and then one more.
In addition to making up rhyming couplets, we beat the rhymes we both know and remember and take turns saying lines. Sometimes we don’t say the words. We beat out the rhythms.

Examples: Pease Porridge Hot, One Two, Buckle my Shoe

I laugh with him when we realize how long ago it was when we first learned these little songs.”How do you remember those?” I ask. “I don’t know?” “Well, you have a good memory.”

I am wondering if he remembers it because he has repeated it over and over to his children and grandchildren.