"Keeper of the Clouds" demonstrates an instance in time between a mother living with Alzheimer's and her daughter. In the midst of an overwhelming experience, the narrative points to a moment of mindful stillness and beauty that helps the daughter enhance her connection with her mother's world through intuitive and improvised poetry.

One of the major challenges in dementia care today is isolation for both the diagnosed individual and family members. "Keeper of the Clouds" offers a glimpse for how to communicate and rebuild relationships that encourage family members to be present in the moment as much as possible through the help of creativity and artistic perspective on life and lived experience. In doing so, the text illuminates how caregivers can assist themselves and the person in their care bring their rich inner world into being through attentive listening and active engagement.

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Cite as: CMAJ 2017 January 9;189:E27. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.160521