A Brief Stop Near Oblivion

Suddenly I’m awake. I sit bolt upright. Just where am I? It’s dark, very dark. I’m in a dense mental fog. Is it early morning or did I just fall asleep? Was I deep in a dream that has quickly washed away, or am I still in it? And where in my lifespan is this? Am I alive? -- the ridiculous thought whips by. Why the uncertainty, the anxiety? Is it just the dream that has caused bewilderment? Am I still who I was, but who, exactly is that?

Unsure, troubling confusion. Is this dementia or only a momentary thing? Yeah, that’s it -- it’s the possibility of dementia that stirs the apprehension. Although only brief seconds, the moment seems interminable. Then finally, gradually, the fog lifts. Calm arrives, clarity, relaxation. Whew! A brief and most unpleasant stop somewhere near oblivion.