The act is a simple one;
He shifts what he is carrying
In one hand across his body to where
The other hand, already full,
Can press it up against his torso.

With his now free hand, he removes
Car keys from a pants pocket,
Unlocking his car door; then
Reshifting his items back
To the hands they were originally in
So as deposit them in either
The front or back of his car,
As appropriate.

This simple act, carried out
(Possibly) in less time than
It has taken you to read about it,
He performs daily, with
Countless minor variations,
Often several times per day.

But he wonders, as the years go by,
Before anyone looks at him and thinks,
“Dementia,”
Will he first realize
Or not realize
Its onset, when this simple act
Becomes a logistical exercise
To complicated to even contemplate?