Hamblin poetry collection focuses on Alzheimer's disease

When many people hear the name Robert Hamblin, their minds automatically assume the name William Faulkner will follow close behind.

With good reason, since Hamblin is nationally and internationally known as a Faulkner expert. He has written numerous books about the Mississippi author over the years. In fact, because of Hamblin and L.D. Brodksy, Southeast Missouri State University can boast of being the home of the third largest Faulkner collection in the world.

But as Hamblin addressed a group of about 20 people Saturday at the Cape River Heritage Museum in downtown Cape Girardeau, he explained his presentation was not going to be about William Faulkner, and it was not going to be happy.

He did not lie on either account.

Hamblin only alluded to Faulkner in passing, saying because of Faulkner, Hamblin and his wife, Kaye, were able to travel many places, going to 49 of the 50 states, and abroad to London and Japan. The couple had booked a trip for the remaining state, Alaska, but life had other plans.

Two years ago, Kaye Hamblin, his wife of 58 years, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Saturday, Hamblin shared poetry from his book “Darkness Descending: Love Poems for a Beloved Stricken with Alzheimer’s.” The poetry presents the perspective of a husband, as the caregiver to his wife. Hamblin wrote of waiting rooms, waiting as his wife endures many medical tests and of river walks they used to share, but now he shares only with their dog, Moo. He wrote of the good days; he wrote of the bad days. The frustration and fear as he worries about the day he will no longer be able to reach her.

Hamblin said Kaye always recognizes him in a photo of them in London. In the image, they are in front of the Cheshire Cheese pub, and he is wearing a London Fog coat. He said Kaye often knows him by various versions of his first name — “Bobby,” “Robert” and “Bob” — all nomenclatures representative of various points in their shared life.

Hamblin’s main role these days is that of caregiver.

He credits his ability to stay with Kaye to their children, Laurie and Stephen, who live nearby. Also, Hamblin said the couple has many friends who drop by for visits so he can make quick trips to a store and run other necessary errands.

Kaye is a retired elementary teacher, and also a writer herself. She authored “Finding Julia: The Early Development of Southeast Missouri” and a children’s book. Ever humble about her own abilities, but still wanting it to be her own, Robert Hamblin said she only allowed him to proofread them.

“‘People will think you wrote it, Bob,’” Hamblin quoted his wife as saying.

Kaye Hamblin also enjoys cooking. Like most southern woman, she was an excellent cook and enjoyed seeing her family enjoy her labors, Robert Hamblin said. Now, he said he has had to learn his way around the kitchen more, too. One of the poems is about those very cooking lessons he took from his wife.

Kaye loves to play the piano and shared her love of music by teaching her grandchildren to play as well, Hamblin said.

When Kaye was first diagnosed, Hamblin said she told him, “I wish that you could see what is going on in my head,” and she expressed a desire to write about it, but could not. When Hamblin asked whether he could, she agreed that would be fine.

Hamblin explained writing has always been a means of escape for him, just as it is for most writers, and writing these poems has helped him.

He said the poems deal with Kaye’s early stages of Alzheimer’s, but he will not write about her final stages.

But, he has not and will not ever share the poetry with his wife.

“It would be too painful,” he said.

Hamblin said people tell him they cry when they read the poems.

“I cried when I wrote them,” he said.

The collection seeks to remind the audience of wedding vows: “In sickness and in health,” but a passage from Ruth also is brought to mind: “Wherever you go, I go.”

These days Hamblin said Kaye worries he might put her in a care facility. But, he said he assures her, “Kaye, wherever you go, I go.”

All proceeds from sale of the book will go to the Alzheimer’s Association. Hamblin said the couple hopes others may be helped by reading about their journey.

“Darkness Descending” is available at www.Amazon.com.