Imagine seeing the face of a loved one and feeling as if every time you see them it is the first time the two of you have met. Visualize a situation where you meet someone new and they ask you your name, but no matter how much it rattles your brain; you are unable to generate a response. Kelly Cherry's poem “Alzheimer” explains just this; what a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease may experience. This poem offers an insight into the confusion, sadness, and loneliness that this disabling disease typically evokes. Cherry reinforces the characters' bewilderment through the creative use of form and imagery incorporated into this poem. Although Cherry writes this poem in open form, the form that was created for this poem seems to be intentionally built on the confusion felt by a person suffering from Alzheimer's disease. . Notice that each line of the poem begins with a capital letter. If you read this poem one line at a time, as if the capital letters were a new beginning for each sentence, you notice that it is not possible to form a complete idea; We are left with only disconnected thoughts, which suggest the thought process of someone suffering from this life-altering condition. For example, in line nine “In England, after the rain”. This single line alone has no logical meaning since it is not a fully developed sentence. Also, in line 27, the speaker says “Stand here in the door.” It makes you wonder what is in the doorway if that line is read alone. Very rarely in this poem can one capture a complete idea, as seen in the first line "He stands in the door, a crazy old man." You are able to visualize a gentleman standing in the doorway, possibly with wrinkled body features that suggest someone who is crazy, such as an expression on his face or... in the middle of a sheet of paper... he is from the past and he is saddened that he cannot match the face he sees now of this elderly woman, to the woman he remembers from years before. This causes in the reader's mind a touching, but at the same time very disconcerting image of this man, a man who tries with all his might to remember himself for who he is now and not just for the memories of his past . While much may not seem intentional, the poet incorporates a unique use of open forms and imagery to emphasize the profound confusion of this man suffering from Alzheimer's disease. This has led to an insight into not only what a man living with Alzheimer's looks like, but also a deeper look at his brain and a deep understanding of how it works, as well as the emotions that a person with this condition can encompass. Works Cited Meyer, Michael. Poetry: An Introduction. Boston, Massachusetts: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print.