Poems
Content
Never Have I Fallen Your lips speak soft sweetness Your touch a cool caress I am lost in your magic My heart beats within your chest I think of you each morning And dream of you each night I think of your arms being around me And cannot express my delight Never have I fallen But I am quickly on my way You hold a heart in your hands That has never before been given away - Rex A. Williams
Forever Friends
you'r my friend and that is true, but the gift was given from me to you. we went thru moments that were good and bad, even moments that were happy and sad. you supported me when i was in tears, we stuck together when we were in fear, its really sad that it had to be this way, but it has reached its very last day. miles away cant keep us apart, 'cause you'll always be in my heart. Make new friends But keep the old One is sliver and the other gold ! Special Friend Poems "Portrait of a Friend" I can't give solutions to all of life's problems, doubts, or fears. But I can listen to you, and together we will search for answers. I can't change your past with all it's heartache and pain, nor the future with its untold stories. But I can be there now when you need me to care. I can't keep your feet from stumbling. I can only offer my hand that you may grasp it and not fall.
Your joys, triumphs, successes, and happiness are not mine; Yet I can share in your laughter. Your decisions in life are not mine to make, nor to judge; I can only support you, encourage you, and help you when you ask. I can't prevent you from falling away from friendship, from your values, from me. I can only pray for you, talk to you and wait for you. I can't give you boundaries which I have determined for you, But I can give you the room to change, room to grow, room to be yourself. I can't keep your heart from breaking and hurting, But I can cry with you and help you pick up the pieces and put them back in place. I can't tell you who you are. I can only love you and be your friend. --Unknown Why GOD Gave Us Friends GOD knew that everyone needs Companionship and cheer, He knew that people need someone Whose thoughts are always near. He knew they need someone kind To lend a helping hand. Someone to gladly take the time To care and understand. GOD knew that we all need someone To share each happy day, To be a source of courage When troubles come our way. Someone to be true to us, Whether near or far apart. Someone whose love we'll always Hold and treasure in our hearts. That's Why GOD Gave Us Friends!
Life is a journey through many terrain From gardens of pleasure to deserts of pain From an ocean of love to a jungle of hate From Mountains of glory to canyons of fate. There's a highway for joy and a highway for sorrow A Road for today and a road for tomorrow. So choose your path wisely and walk with care If you follow your heart, you'll find your way there. I've been to the garden and planted seeds there. I've been to the desert and felt the despair. I've swam in the ocean and drank of it's wine I climbed up the mountain to touch the sky. I went to the canyon and started to cry I've traveled both highways, both today And tomorrow. I've basked in the joy And wallowed in sorrow. My Path has been chosen and I've walked it with care. I followed My heart and I'm on my way there So I'll just keep walking till I find what I'm after. To Mountains and oceans and Gardens of laughter. Three simple little words but they mean so very much. Sometimes they are said with a tender loving touch. At time it's seen within each others eyes. For loving eyes never tell lies. And sometimes it is heard, In these three little words. I love you as I have never loved before. I need you To feel safe and secure. I want you Of that there is no doubt These are the feelings to you I want to shout. Life is short sometimes it is taken away.
Never put off until tomorrow what should be said today. Love begins with love Sometimes with the first hello. My love grew for you and I have told you so. Love isn't what we are ... It's something that we do. And I will spend my whole life through ...Always loving you. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh. When care is pressing you down a bit. Rest if you must, But don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learn, And many a person turns about, When they might have won, had they stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow. You may succeed with another blow. Often strugglers have given up When you might have captured the victor's cup, And you learned too late when the night came down, How close you was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the cloud of doubt. So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worst that you Mustn't Quit!
Why Do I do This?
Ashley Lipscomb, Student Nyrse Why do I study all hours of the night? Why do I put up such a fight? I do it because one day I will celebrate new baby born. And, one day help a family mourn. It makes me have courage and determination. It teaches me how to handle my dissatisfaction.
Some people will curse or bless you. But every day they will teach you something new. That is why I study all nght. And, why I put us such a fight. Because one day, a Nurse I will be. To help people like you and me.
Nurse
Submitted by Paul Nickerson - Paul is not a Nurse, but his Mother , now retired, was for many years. Paul found this poem tucked away in a small photo album belonging to his mother. It was a game we all played as a child Then some of us made it a dream worthwhile More to learn, not as much time to share Because in our hearts we really cared We have worked the late night hours While others slept away Handles a doctor's many moods Then found time to pray Critical moments that remain as memories Some sad - then some are good Then there are the tragedies That will never be understood We see a newborn baby smile As we watch another slip away And that completes the circle The price for life's that paid Sometimes not appreciated When just a hug will do We are proud of our profession A guift from me to you
Another Goodbye
By Jennifer Huff, LPN I said goodbye to you today. In my own quiet way. A hidden tear was shed. Tribute to the life you led. Empty chair, an unspoken reminder of you. Too soon to be filled by a patient so new. Numb to the pain of so many goodbyes. Sorrow hidden, secretly brushing tears from my eyes. You joined the others who paved the way for you. The leader, the song-man, the fiesty one, too.
The one who decided that he'd just had enough. Saying farewell to you all has been so tough. I like to imagine you are all gathered up there. Playing poker, having feasts, so many stories to share. No more restrictions on fluid and food. No longer chained to disease, it is as it should. Those of us left behind, keep your memory alive. Working hard every day to help others survive. Chair no longer empty, a new soul to tend. Hidden tears suppressed. A new beginning to the end.
The Cute Little Lady in The Pink Sweater
By Dawn Maselli, RN They can take my meal away before I'm done They can talk to me like I'm dumb They can refer to me as a "Feeder" Fluff me up to make me look neater They talk about me like I'm not Here They address me as "honey" "cutie and "dear". But there are things they can't do to me As they insult my dignity Oh there are things they can't do to me They can't take away my memories My Roles through this life cement my presence With withered mind they call senescence I am rich in culture, wisdom and knowledge That medical people can't learn in college I am a mother, a sister, a historian, a wife I have mastered many roles throughout my life I created warm meals in my day I wiped my children's tears away I cared for a close knit family Who look up to and value me And now I master another role Dependent patient with golden soul If just one of "them" would sit with me I'd share with them this history And if one would stay awhile I'd teach them that I'm still God's child. They are so busy this I know I have aged and have gotten slow This I must share in written word I may not be seen but I will be heard They say I'm anxious, noisy and loud This life has taught me not to be too proud I am too many things to capture in a letter I am so much more than the lady in the pink sweater If you've listened from the start I may help you find your heart.
Assignment
By Kim Jordan RN I have nine patients, you are but one I will walk five miles before I am done Tiptoeing in and out of the rooms Darkened and quiet like silent tombs I try not to wake you, for there is no time When trying to divide eight hours by nine.
It is my duty
Dawn Butler, RN (Pennsylvania) I walk through those doors with pride, Who's life will i save tonight? Someone is waiting for me, Someone is alive today because of my duty. Sometimes we cry cause we can't save them all, God sometimes won't let us interfere when he calls. A baby's first breath when he looks at me, The joy of my first delivery. The tear i wipe a way with my own hands, The life ending of a gentle old man. The night seems so dark and the morning so bright. Being a nurse you see life in a different light. Who will i save tonight? Who will hold my hand during their last breath with no fright? Who will enter this world on my shift? How many mothers will greet their babies with a kiss? I don't know who these special people are but i will meet them with every call I will hold them tight and help the pain I will hold them up when they feel faint. I will be strong when i am needed That is my job, I am a nurse..that is my duty.
Lily of The Valley
By Paul Lawrence Dunbar. At the time this was written, the Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing flower was the Lily-of-theValley and Paul Lawrence Dunbar has just been a patient at the hospital. This was his tribute to the students. Sweetest of the flowers a blooming In the fragrant vernal days, Is the Lily-of-the-Valley With its soft retiring ways.
Well, you chose this humble blossom, As the Nurse's emblem flower Who grows more like her idea Every day and every hour Like the Lily-of-the-Valley In her honesty and worth Oh! She blooms in truth and virtue In the humble works of earth. Though she stands erect in honor When the heart of mankind bleeds, Still she hides her own deserving In the beauty of her deeds. In the silence and the darkness, When no eye may see or know, There her footsteps shod with mercy and fleet kindness, come and go. Not amid the sound of plaudits, Not before the garish day; Does she shed her soul's sweet perfume, Does she take her gentle way. But alike her ideal flower, With its honey-laden breath; Still her heart blooms forth its beauty In the valley shades of death.
Assignment
By Kim Jordan, RN I have nine patients, you are but one I will walk five miles before I am done Tiptoeing in and out of the rooms Darkened and quiet like silent tombs I try not to wake you, for there is no time When trying to divide eight hours by nine.
Look Closer - A Nurse's Reply
Liz Hogben This was sent in by Mrs B Boyle. I came across this poem, when my mother was in the nursing home it was place in the rooms there, believe it's a reply to the poem, "A Young Girl Still Dwells" What do we, you ask, what do we see ? Yes, we are thinking when looking at thee! We may seem to be hard when we hurry and fuss, But there's many of you and too few of us. We would like far more time to sit by you and talk, To bath you and feed you and help you to walk,
To hear of your lives and the things you have done; Your childhood, your husband, your daughter, your son, But time is against us, there's too much to doPatients too many and nurses too few. We grieve when we see you so sad and alone, With nobody near you, no friends of your own. We feel all your pain, and know of your fear That nobody cares now your end is so near. But nurses are people with feelings as well, And when we're together, you'll often hear tell Of the dearest old Gran in the very end bed, And the lovely old Dad, and the things that he said, We speak with compassion and love, and feel sad When we think of yours and the joy that you've had. When the time has arrived for you to depart, You leave us behind with an ache in our heart. When you sleep the long sleep, no more worry or care, There are other old people, and we mist be there. So please understand if we hurry and fuss-There are many of you and too few of us.
I Gave My First Injection Today
Sent in by [email protected] I gave my first injection today, now wait before you get bored and want to walk away its been a long road to get where I'm at, 15 years to be precise now what do you think of that? This has been my life's dream to take care of the sick and work with a team of caring professionals with all the same goal of ridding aches and pains and doing work that's not in vain. So maybe now I have your attention so I can tell you my story and you possibly won't find it so boring I gave my first injection today and my patient didn't flinch she said she didn't feel a thing. What a wonderful compliment that she gave to me "a wonderful nurse you are going to be". I also passed meds and cleaned lots of wounds and held alot of hands before I walked from the rooms. You wonder how can I be so happy in all this misery? you see I guess I see it different than the average Joe, before you think I am crazy just let me explain. If I can ease just one pain or dry just one eye or offer just one daughter some comfort when she finds out her mother has just died. I have accomplished my task and have been successful in my goals to have offered a hand when life has taken its tolls.
See I have been truly blessed to have touched these lives and pray I never find it boring or bothersome to do the meaningless of task. Even when the most trying of patients call and ask. My goal is to answer every time with a smile and ask for forgiveness when I can't after I have gone mile after mile. Have I told you yet I gave my first injection today. I am a student nurse and for dedication I pray.
An Old Lady's Poem
When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was felt that she had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Ireland. The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North Ireland Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on her simple, but eloquent, poem. ... And this little old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet. Goes to show that we all leave "SOME footprints in time"..... What do you see, nurses, what do you see? What are you thinking when you're looking at me? A crabby old woman, not very wise, Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes? Who dribbles her food and makes no reply When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try!" Who seems not to notice the things that you do, And forever is missing a stocking or shoe..... Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill.... Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse; you're not looking at me. I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of ten ... with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters, who love one another. A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet, Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet. A bride soon at twenty -- my heart gives a leap, Remembering the vows that I promised to keep. At twenty-five now, I have young of my own, Who need me to guide and a secure happy home. A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast, Bound to each other with ties that should last. At forty, my young sons have grown and are gone, But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.
At fifty once more, babies play round my knee, Again we know children, my loved one and me. Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead; I look at the future, I shudder with dread. For my young are all rearing young of their own, And I think of the years and the love that I've known. I'm now an old woman ... and nature is cruel; 'Tis jest to make old age look like a fool. The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart, There is now a stone where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells, And now and again my battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, And I'm loving and living life over again. I think of the years .... all too few, gone too fast, And accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, nurses, open and see, Not a crabby old woman; look closer ... see ME!! Remember this poem when you next meet an old person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within ...... We will one day be there, too!
One Angel - No Wings
By Babs Hurst© I worked the graveyard shift last night Oh my god, I saw some sights! I had a constant stream of admissions Mostly old, with chronic conditions Gout and asthma, and a few heart pains Even a sprinkling of varicose veins People yelling and wetting their beds Sending us nurses off our heads Someone let out a ripping fart Made me gasp « and clutch my heart Then a snort, a grunt, a yelp Those people really should get help! That lady in the farthest bed She was so pale I thought she was dead Her pallor was just a trick of light My god!! she sure gave me a fright I worked my butt off, as per usual Charts, charts, charts for my perusal B/P's were done - standing and lying I weighed them all and felt like crying
I wiped up shit and dished out pans Then rubbed some butts with my caring hands I did the obs, the whole damn lot Gave morning meds then cleaned the grot So there I was earning my crust Even though I cursed and cussed! I am an Angel dressed in white Walking the ward in the midst of night
I Am A Student Nurse
Submitted by Boyd Williams I am a student nurse I promise to be brave I graduate in May I am a student nurse I will not show them I am afraid I will pretend that I have done this a million times or more So my patients will feel at ease when I am on the floor I am a student nurse I promise to be brave I graduate in May
The Nurse
Submitted by Frank Paylor of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada When you are feeling sick, or worse, thank your dear Maker for your nurse Whose tender care and ministrations are worth sincere congratulations. The shattered limb, the fevered brow are much the same to her somehow. There is a need, a chance to heal, to ease the pain that you might feel. Through all those precious smiles and words of comfort, as she tends With all her sharpened skills and guiles without complaint, she mends. Then there comes the day when you are sent upon your way -- and you discover, in the end, that you have had a pleasant visit with a very special friend.
The Proverbs 31 Nurse
By Lois Sigmon Turley, RN
Who can find a good natured Nurse? For her price is far above silver and gold. She seeks medicines and skills, and works willingly with others. She gives of herself and considers her own desires last. A heartwarming smile is hers, and is made beautiful in her eyes. She girds herself with honor and strengthens her ability with patience. She perceives that her work is good. Her candle does not go out by night. She lays her hands upon understanding. She stretches out her hand to the poor; yet, she reaches forth hands to the needy. She is not afraid of sorrow, for her trust is in God. Pride and humility are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with comfort, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Her associates rise up and call her blessed; her patients also praise her kindness. Many daughters have helped others, but you excel them all. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain. But a Nurse that fears the Lord -She shall be praised!
What is a Nurse?
By Fred Berk, Hospital Photo Guild If you must get sick, a Nurse is the nicest thing that can happen to you. Nurse come in all sizes, shapes, colors and ages. Efficiently cheerful, they will rustle past you many times a day. When Hercules cleaned the Augean Stables, he set a standard which the Nurse surpasses each day. Buoyed by an immense sympathy for mankind and undismayed by experiences with particular members of that, at times, cantankerous race, they perform miracles of devotion with effortless cheer. When you rub your Alladin's Lamp (or sound your buzzer) your little Genie appears. Perhaps they have been summoned needlessly a dozen
times already. But they are cheerfully ready to soothe you, to help you down your medicine, to smooth down your bed, to answer your fears. The Nurse is the Doctor's guard against forgetfulness, his questioning conscience, at times his challenge, and at all times his skilled right arm. Their charming cap (well, use to be anyway) perches undisturbed through the roughest day. They have no self for themselves. Their all is for their patients. If they are short with one patient, it is because they are pressing to return to the one whose need is greater. The Big Show (life itself) must go on. This is the Nurse's creed, their battle, their drive. They will fight to the end with every trick, every knowledge, ever passion. At the end of the day, the Nurse returns home, physically weary, but with their inner light glowing brightly, for they have richly earned the peace within themselves. If you must get sick, you are mighty lucky to have a Nurse happen to you.
Nurse Prayer
Unknown Author Dear Lord, Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to hide the bodies of those Doctors I had to kill because they pushed me too far....
Survivor Psalm
By Frank Ochberg, MD and Gift From Within I have been victimized. I was in a fight that was not a fair fight. I did not ask for the fight. I lost. There is no shame in losing such fights, only in winning. I have reached the stage of survivor and am no longer a slave of victim status. I look back with sadness rather than hate. I look forward with hope rather than despair. I may never forget, but I need not constantly remember.
I was a victim. I am a survivor.
I'm Sorry In Advance
By Linda Leeson - Licensed Practical Nurse Vernon Jubilee Hospital Vernon. B.C. Canada Your beds not made today But I have a patient here Whose chest pain won¶t go away I¶m sorry in advance You¶re not happy with your meal Dietary does try hard sir, To give it some appeal I¶m sorry in advance Your morning pills are late I¶ve a patient climbing out of bed That I must try to sedate I¶m sorry in advance Your mattress isn¶t soft We do need some new beds ma¶am But these things do cost a lot. I¶m sorry in advance I didn¶t get to comb your mothers hair I¶ve a patient with emphysema She¶s scared, she can¶t get air I¶m sorry in advance Your fathers still in pain I¶m trying to reach his doctor I¶ll have to try again I¶m sorry in advance Your dressings aren¶t yet done But a patient has just passed away, I offered solace to his son, I¶m sorry in advance I¶m not cheery as a bird I¶ve worked 12 hours, my feet ache I asked for help, but no one heard I¶m sorry in advance I¶ve only two hands and two feet I¶m trying to care for you, patient Your needs, I want to meet My 12 hours now are 16, No replacement could be found My aching feet they cry out My head begins to pound I¶m sorry in advance I cannot meet your gaze My eyes are filled with tears Your face is just a haze If I could sit down for a minute And maybe grab a bite Phone my kids to say I love them
And I¶ll be late again tonight I¶m sorry in advance I didn¶t do all that must be done If I worked any faster I¶d soon begin to run When I do get to hold your hand Or wipe your furrowed brow Please understand, dear patient I care for you and how I see your pain, I sense your fear Your anger in a glance, Our health care service is failing you I¶m sorry in advance.
Place Your Healing Touch In My Hands
Unknown Author Help me as I care for my patients today, Be there with me, O Lord, I pray Make my words kind --it means so much-And in my hands place Your healing touch Let your love shine through all that I do, So those in need may hear and feel You.
A Nurse's Prayer
Unknown Author I dedicate myself to thee, 0 Lord, my God, this work I undertake Alone in thy great name, and for thy sake. In ministering to suffering I would learn The sympathy that in thy heart did burn. Take, then, mine eyes, and teach them to perceive The ablest way each sick one to relieve. Guide thou my hands, that e'en their touch may prove The gentleness and aptness born of love. Bless thou my feet, and while they softly tread May faces smile on many a sufferer's bed. Touch thou my lips, guide thou my tongue, Give me a work in sermon for each one. Clothe me with patience, strength all tasks to bear, Crown me with hope and love, which know no fear, And faith, that coming face to face with death Shall e'en inspire with joy the dying breath. All through the arduous day my actions guide, All through the lonely night watch by my side,
So I shall wake refreshed, with strength to pray, Work in me, through me, with me, Lord, this day.
Dedicated To The Man I Never Knew©
I work at Good Samaritan (Dayton, Ohio) on the neurology unit. I love your site. You have done a wonderful job. Thank you for sharing with us. Here is a poem I have written. By Pauline Hamblin As I tend to you, in your death. I feel I know you, by those you left. You must have been, a wonderful man. The strengh and character, of your clan I see love, deep in their eyes. The pain they feel is no disquise. The gentle way , they touch your hand. As you are drifting, to the promised land. Your children talked, of being raised. Respect and devotion, lived at your place. Grateful to God, they appeared to be. Happy to be a part of your family. Your wife's heart, is beating loud. Tears well up, her eyes did cloud. Unable to speak, she begins to cry. Begging to God, to not let you die. So you see, my friend, this life is past. But the values you left, will always last. Though I never knew you, I know you well. Your life, your love, their eyes did tell. Dedicated to the patients that I have attended to over the years. Although I might not know them when they first arrive the love and devotion of their families tell their true story. Regretfully not all patients survive, but the love they have given their family will last a lifetime.
An Old Woman
(Note: This poem was found in the bedside table of an elderly woman living in an extended care facility upon her death.) What do you see nurses, What do you see? Are you thinking, When you look at me; A crabbit old woman, Not very wise Uncertain of habit,
With far away eyes, Who dribbles her food, And makes no reply When you say in a loud voice 'I do wish you'd try', Who seems not to notice The things that you do, And forever is losing A stocking or shoe, Who, unresisting or not, Lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding, The long day to fill, Is that what you're thinking, Is that what you see? Then open your eyes nurse. You're not looking at me. As I'll tell you who I am, As I sit here so still, As I rise at your bidding, As I eat at your will. I'm a small child of ten With a mother and father Brothers and sisters, Who love one another, A young girl of sixteen, With wings on her feet, Dreaming that soon now A lover she'll meet; A bride soon at twenty; My heart gives a leap, Remembering the vows That I promised to keep; At twenty-five now I have young of my own, Who need me to build A secure, happy home. A young woman of thirty, My young now grow fast, Bound to each other With ties that should last; At forty, my young ones, Now grown, will soon be gone, But my man stays beside me, To see I don't mourn. At fifty once more, babies play round my knee. Again we know children, My loved one and me. Dark days are upon me, My husband is dead, I look at the future, I shudder with dread, For my young are all busy, Rearing young of their own, And I thin of the years
And the love I have known. I'm an old woman now, And nature is cruel. 'tis her jest to make old age To look like a fool. The body is crumbled, Grace and vigor depart. There is now a stone Where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass, A young girl still dwells, And now and again My battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, And I'm loving and living Life over again. I think of the years, All too few, Gone to fast, And accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, nurses, Open and see, Not a crabbit old woman; Look closer ... see ME.
At Your Side He Will Remain
I love your website and enjoy reading the poem about the little boy talking about his nurse. Here is a poem I wrote for the things we face. I am a nurse in ICU and have been there for 8 years. I need God to help me through the things I must deal with. By Becky Coleman I watch the tears fall of those who stand by. I see their despair tearing them apart inside. I feel so helpless as I watch at their side. Trying to give hope, as my feelings I hide. I want to tell them not to cry. I want to say, "this is only a body - the soul shall never die." At the time I know these words won't erase the pain. Sometimes silence is better than words spoke in vain. A gentle touch, a simple nod is all I can do except a prayer to our Father to see them through. For I know His touch is gentle and will guide them through their pain, and help them realize, at their side He will remain.
On Call
Anonymous
When the beeper went off you were dreaming about running away from your kid's ball game and your job and your home. On your way you review all the steps of pronouncement - you look for the hospice death packet and think about what you will do and say. They meet you at the door, quietly leading you to the room. Everyone is silent, the lights are dim, they are waiting, expectantly. On the hospital bed lies a skeleton - a shell of a person - pasty in color, motionless. There is no heartbeat, no peripheral pulse, no respiration, the eyes are open and fixed. You wonder who this person was, what she was like when she was young, what kind of suffering she endured. You tell the family that the patient has died. The young girl begins to cry, her brother holds her, their mother - the patient's daughter - sits stoically next to the bed, hands folded in her lap. You stop the CADD pump and gently remove the sub-q catheter. You turn off the oxygen concentrator and remove the nasal cannula. You excuse yourself to make the phone calls. The family sits next to their now gone grandmother - touching her hands, crying, reassuring each other that they have done the best for her. The daughter, the spine (pillar?)of strength, is not crying but gently talking to her children. You notify the doctor - he is sad, says he's known her for 30 years, probably will go to the funeral. You notify the minister who says he'll be right there. The funeral director will arrive in 30 minutes. The daughter witnesses for you as you pour morphine and Percocet tablets into the toilet and flush. Paperwork. The daughter tells you her mother suffered from cancer for 20 years off and on - but that the last 3 months were fast and painful until the hospice nurses got the pain under control with the CADD pump.
You calculate what the cancer must have occluded, eroded, robbed, to cause such pain. There is cachexia. There are pedal contractures. The abdomen is grossly enlarged. You tell the daughter the good things you see - how beautifully the skin has been kept, not a hint of breakdown; how nice the hair looks, such an obvious sign of the love and devotion her mother has received. The two young children leave the room and you and the daughter bathe the mother one last time, change the linens, and make her comfortable. You talk to each other and to the body. The daughter begins to cry - you hold her, like the child she is at this moment - the child who no longer has a mother. The doorbell rings, the funeral director has arrived. You encourage the daughter and her family to come into the dining room and have a cup of tea. You go back to the bedroom to assist with the transfer of the body into the funeral bag. Such finality when the zipper goes over the face - you want to keep the family delicately away from the sight of this. It is painful enough for you. The minister arrives. The family gathers in the living room. They thank you for being there and for giving up your sleep in their hour of need. You pack the loose medical supplies, strip the bed, break it down, gather the trash, turn out the bedroom light, and close the door. The equipment company will come in the morning for the larger supplies. You say good-bye and leave. Outside, alone in your car, you cry. A few months later at a mutual friend's wedding, you see the daughter. When she sees you she smiles with sadness in her eyes. You smile back. She knows. You know. She knows you know. That is all. That is enough.
Forever Friends
you'r my friend and that is true, but the gift was given from me to you. we went thru moments that were good and bad, even moments that were happy and sad. you supported me when i was in tears, we stuck together when we were in fear, its really sad that it had to be this way, but it has reached its very last day. miles away cant keep us apart, 'cause you'll always be in my heart. Make new friends But keep the old One is sliver and the other gold ! Special Friend Poems "Portrait of a Friend" I can't give solutions to all of life's problems, doubts, or fears. But I can listen to you, and together we will search for answers. I can't change your past with all it's heartache and pain, nor the future with its untold stories. But I can be there now when you need me to care. I can't keep your feet from stumbling. I can only offer my hand that you may grasp it and not fall.
Your joys, triumphs, successes, and happiness are not mine; Yet I can share in your laughter. Your decisions in life are not mine to make, nor to judge; I can only support you, encourage you, and help you when you ask. I can't prevent you from falling away from friendship, from your values, from me. I can only pray for you, talk to you and wait for you. I can't give you boundaries which I have determined for you, But I can give you the room to change, room to grow, room to be yourself. I can't keep your heart from breaking and hurting, But I can cry with you and help you pick up the pieces and put them back in place. I can't tell you who you are. I can only love you and be your friend. --Unknown Why GOD Gave Us Friends GOD knew that everyone needs Companionship and cheer, He knew that people need someone Whose thoughts are always near. He knew they need someone kind To lend a helping hand. Someone to gladly take the time To care and understand. GOD knew that we all need someone To share each happy day, To be a source of courage When troubles come our way. Someone to be true to us, Whether near or far apart. Someone whose love we'll always Hold and treasure in our hearts. That's Why GOD Gave Us Friends!
Life is a journey through many terrain From gardens of pleasure to deserts of pain From an ocean of love to a jungle of hate From Mountains of glory to canyons of fate. There's a highway for joy and a highway for sorrow A Road for today and a road for tomorrow. So choose your path wisely and walk with care If you follow your heart, you'll find your way there. I've been to the garden and planted seeds there. I've been to the desert and felt the despair. I've swam in the ocean and drank of it's wine I climbed up the mountain to touch the sky. I went to the canyon and started to cry I've traveled both highways, both today And tomorrow. I've basked in the joy And wallowed in sorrow. My Path has been chosen and I've walked it with care. I followed My heart and I'm on my way there So I'll just keep walking till I find what I'm after. To Mountains and oceans and Gardens of laughter. Three simple little words but they mean so very much. Sometimes they are said with a tender loving touch. At time it's seen within each others eyes. For loving eyes never tell lies. And sometimes it is heard, In these three little words. I love you as I have never loved before. I need you To feel safe and secure. I want you Of that there is no doubt These are the feelings to you I want to shout. Life is short sometimes it is taken away.
Never put off until tomorrow what should be said today. Love begins with love Sometimes with the first hello. My love grew for you and I have told you so. Love isn't what we are ... It's something that we do. And I will spend my whole life through ...Always loving you. When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, When the road you're trudging seems all uphill, When the funds are low and the debts are high, And you want to smile, but you have to sigh. When care is pressing you down a bit. Rest if you must, But don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and turns, As every one of us sometimes learn, And many a person turns about, When they might have won, had they stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow. You may succeed with another blow. Often strugglers have given up When you might have captured the victor's cup, And you learned too late when the night came down, How close you was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out, The silver tint of the cloud of doubt. So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, It's when things seem worst that you Mustn't Quit!
Why Do I do This?
Ashley Lipscomb, Student Nyrse Why do I study all hours of the night? Why do I put up such a fight? I do it because one day I will celebrate new baby born. And, one day help a family mourn. It makes me have courage and determination. It teaches me how to handle my dissatisfaction.
Some people will curse or bless you. But every day they will teach you something new. That is why I study all nght. And, why I put us such a fight. Because one day, a Nurse I will be. To help people like you and me.
Nurse
Submitted by Paul Nickerson - Paul is not a Nurse, but his Mother , now retired, was for many years. Paul found this poem tucked away in a small photo album belonging to his mother. It was a game we all played as a child Then some of us made it a dream worthwhile More to learn, not as much time to share Because in our hearts we really cared We have worked the late night hours While others slept away Handles a doctor's many moods Then found time to pray Critical moments that remain as memories Some sad - then some are good Then there are the tragedies That will never be understood We see a newborn baby smile As we watch another slip away And that completes the circle The price for life's that paid Sometimes not appreciated When just a hug will do We are proud of our profession A guift from me to you
Another Goodbye
By Jennifer Huff, LPN I said goodbye to you today. In my own quiet way. A hidden tear was shed. Tribute to the life you led. Empty chair, an unspoken reminder of you. Too soon to be filled by a patient so new. Numb to the pain of so many goodbyes. Sorrow hidden, secretly brushing tears from my eyes. You joined the others who paved the way for you. The leader, the song-man, the fiesty one, too.
The one who decided that he'd just had enough. Saying farewell to you all has been so tough. I like to imagine you are all gathered up there. Playing poker, having feasts, so many stories to share. No more restrictions on fluid and food. No longer chained to disease, it is as it should. Those of us left behind, keep your memory alive. Working hard every day to help others survive. Chair no longer empty, a new soul to tend. Hidden tears suppressed. A new beginning to the end.
The Cute Little Lady in The Pink Sweater
By Dawn Maselli, RN They can take my meal away before I'm done They can talk to me like I'm dumb They can refer to me as a "Feeder" Fluff me up to make me look neater They talk about me like I'm not Here They address me as "honey" "cutie and "dear". But there are things they can't do to me As they insult my dignity Oh there are things they can't do to me They can't take away my memories My Roles through this life cement my presence With withered mind they call senescence I am rich in culture, wisdom and knowledge That medical people can't learn in college I am a mother, a sister, a historian, a wife I have mastered many roles throughout my life I created warm meals in my day I wiped my children's tears away I cared for a close knit family Who look up to and value me And now I master another role Dependent patient with golden soul If just one of "them" would sit with me I'd share with them this history And if one would stay awhile I'd teach them that I'm still God's child. They are so busy this I know I have aged and have gotten slow This I must share in written word I may not be seen but I will be heard They say I'm anxious, noisy and loud This life has taught me not to be too proud I am too many things to capture in a letter I am so much more than the lady in the pink sweater If you've listened from the start I may help you find your heart.
Assignment
By Kim Jordan RN I have nine patients, you are but one I will walk five miles before I am done Tiptoeing in and out of the rooms Darkened and quiet like silent tombs I try not to wake you, for there is no time When trying to divide eight hours by nine.
It is my duty
Dawn Butler, RN (Pennsylvania) I walk through those doors with pride, Who's life will i save tonight? Someone is waiting for me, Someone is alive today because of my duty. Sometimes we cry cause we can't save them all, God sometimes won't let us interfere when he calls. A baby's first breath when he looks at me, The joy of my first delivery. The tear i wipe a way with my own hands, The life ending of a gentle old man. The night seems so dark and the morning so bright. Being a nurse you see life in a different light. Who will i save tonight? Who will hold my hand during their last breath with no fright? Who will enter this world on my shift? How many mothers will greet their babies with a kiss? I don't know who these special people are but i will meet them with every call I will hold them tight and help the pain I will hold them up when they feel faint. I will be strong when i am needed That is my job, I am a nurse..that is my duty.
Lily of The Valley
By Paul Lawrence Dunbar. At the time this was written, the Miami Valley Hospital School of Nursing flower was the Lily-of-theValley and Paul Lawrence Dunbar has just been a patient at the hospital. This was his tribute to the students. Sweetest of the flowers a blooming In the fragrant vernal days, Is the Lily-of-the-Valley With its soft retiring ways.
Well, you chose this humble blossom, As the Nurse's emblem flower Who grows more like her idea Every day and every hour Like the Lily-of-the-Valley In her honesty and worth Oh! She blooms in truth and virtue In the humble works of earth. Though she stands erect in honor When the heart of mankind bleeds, Still she hides her own deserving In the beauty of her deeds. In the silence and the darkness, When no eye may see or know, There her footsteps shod with mercy and fleet kindness, come and go. Not amid the sound of plaudits, Not before the garish day; Does she shed her soul's sweet perfume, Does she take her gentle way. But alike her ideal flower, With its honey-laden breath; Still her heart blooms forth its beauty In the valley shades of death.
Assignment
By Kim Jordan, RN I have nine patients, you are but one I will walk five miles before I am done Tiptoeing in and out of the rooms Darkened and quiet like silent tombs I try not to wake you, for there is no time When trying to divide eight hours by nine.
Look Closer - A Nurse's Reply
Liz Hogben This was sent in by Mrs B Boyle. I came across this poem, when my mother was in the nursing home it was place in the rooms there, believe it's a reply to the poem, "A Young Girl Still Dwells" What do we, you ask, what do we see ? Yes, we are thinking when looking at thee! We may seem to be hard when we hurry and fuss, But there's many of you and too few of us. We would like far more time to sit by you and talk, To bath you and feed you and help you to walk,
To hear of your lives and the things you have done; Your childhood, your husband, your daughter, your son, But time is against us, there's too much to doPatients too many and nurses too few. We grieve when we see you so sad and alone, With nobody near you, no friends of your own. We feel all your pain, and know of your fear That nobody cares now your end is so near. But nurses are people with feelings as well, And when we're together, you'll often hear tell Of the dearest old Gran in the very end bed, And the lovely old Dad, and the things that he said, We speak with compassion and love, and feel sad When we think of yours and the joy that you've had. When the time has arrived for you to depart, You leave us behind with an ache in our heart. When you sleep the long sleep, no more worry or care, There are other old people, and we mist be there. So please understand if we hurry and fuss-There are many of you and too few of us.
I Gave My First Injection Today
Sent in by [email protected] I gave my first injection today, now wait before you get bored and want to walk away its been a long road to get where I'm at, 15 years to be precise now what do you think of that? This has been my life's dream to take care of the sick and work with a team of caring professionals with all the same goal of ridding aches and pains and doing work that's not in vain. So maybe now I have your attention so I can tell you my story and you possibly won't find it so boring I gave my first injection today and my patient didn't flinch she said she didn't feel a thing. What a wonderful compliment that she gave to me "a wonderful nurse you are going to be". I also passed meds and cleaned lots of wounds and held alot of hands before I walked from the rooms. You wonder how can I be so happy in all this misery? you see I guess I see it different than the average Joe, before you think I am crazy just let me explain. If I can ease just one pain or dry just one eye or offer just one daughter some comfort when she finds out her mother has just died. I have accomplished my task and have been successful in my goals to have offered a hand when life has taken its tolls.
See I have been truly blessed to have touched these lives and pray I never find it boring or bothersome to do the meaningless of task. Even when the most trying of patients call and ask. My goal is to answer every time with a smile and ask for forgiveness when I can't after I have gone mile after mile. Have I told you yet I gave my first injection today. I am a student nurse and for dedication I pray.
An Old Lady's Poem
When an old lady died in the geriatric ward of a small hospital near Dundee, Scotland, it was felt that she had nothing left of any value. Later, when the nurses were going through her meager possessions, they found this poem. Its quality and content so impressed the staff that copies were made and distributed to every nurse in the hospital. One nurse took her copy to Ireland. The old lady's sole bequest to posterity has since appeared in the Christmas edition of the News Magazine of the North Ireland Association for Mental Health. A slide presentation has also been made based on her simple, but eloquent, poem. ... And this little old Scottish lady, with nothing left to give to the world, is now the author of this "anonymous" poem winging across the Internet. Goes to show that we all leave "SOME footprints in time"..... What do you see, nurses, what do you see? What are you thinking when you're looking at me? A crabby old woman, not very wise, Uncertain of habit, with faraway eyes? Who dribbles her food and makes no reply When you say in a loud voice, "I do wish you'd try!" Who seems not to notice the things that you do, And forever is missing a stocking or shoe..... Who, resisting or not, lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding, the long day to fill.... Is that what you're thinking? Is that what you see? Then open your eyes, nurse; you're not looking at me. I'll tell you who I am as I sit here so still, As I do at your bidding, as I eat at your will. I'm a small child of ten ... with a father and mother, Brothers and sisters, who love one another. A young girl of sixteen, with wings on her feet, Dreaming that soon now a lover she'll meet. A bride soon at twenty -- my heart gives a leap, Remembering the vows that I promised to keep. At twenty-five now, I have young of my own, Who need me to guide and a secure happy home. A woman of thirty, my young now grown fast, Bound to each other with ties that should last. At forty, my young sons have grown and are gone, But my man's beside me to see I don't mourn.
At fifty once more, babies play round my knee, Again we know children, my loved one and me. Dark days are upon me, my husband is dead; I look at the future, I shudder with dread. For my young are all rearing young of their own, And I think of the years and the love that I've known. I'm now an old woman ... and nature is cruel; 'Tis jest to make old age look like a fool. The body, it crumbles, grace and vigor depart, There is now a stone where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass a young girl still dwells, And now and again my battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, And I'm loving and living life over again. I think of the years .... all too few, gone too fast, And accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, nurses, open and see, Not a crabby old woman; look closer ... see ME!! Remember this poem when you next meet an old person who you might brush aside without looking at the young soul within ...... We will one day be there, too!
One Angel - No Wings
By Babs Hurst© I worked the graveyard shift last night Oh my god, I saw some sights! I had a constant stream of admissions Mostly old, with chronic conditions Gout and asthma, and a few heart pains Even a sprinkling of varicose veins People yelling and wetting their beds Sending us nurses off our heads Someone let out a ripping fart Made me gasp « and clutch my heart Then a snort, a grunt, a yelp Those people really should get help! That lady in the farthest bed She was so pale I thought she was dead Her pallor was just a trick of light My god!! she sure gave me a fright I worked my butt off, as per usual Charts, charts, charts for my perusal B/P's were done - standing and lying I weighed them all and felt like crying
I wiped up shit and dished out pans Then rubbed some butts with my caring hands I did the obs, the whole damn lot Gave morning meds then cleaned the grot So there I was earning my crust Even though I cursed and cussed! I am an Angel dressed in white Walking the ward in the midst of night
I Am A Student Nurse
Submitted by Boyd Williams I am a student nurse I promise to be brave I graduate in May I am a student nurse I will not show them I am afraid I will pretend that I have done this a million times or more So my patients will feel at ease when I am on the floor I am a student nurse I promise to be brave I graduate in May
The Nurse
Submitted by Frank Paylor of Sudbury, Ontario, Canada When you are feeling sick, or worse, thank your dear Maker for your nurse Whose tender care and ministrations are worth sincere congratulations. The shattered limb, the fevered brow are much the same to her somehow. There is a need, a chance to heal, to ease the pain that you might feel. Through all those precious smiles and words of comfort, as she tends With all her sharpened skills and guiles without complaint, she mends. Then there comes the day when you are sent upon your way -- and you discover, in the end, that you have had a pleasant visit with a very special friend.
The Proverbs 31 Nurse
By Lois Sigmon Turley, RN
Who can find a good natured Nurse? For her price is far above silver and gold. She seeks medicines and skills, and works willingly with others. She gives of herself and considers her own desires last. A heartwarming smile is hers, and is made beautiful in her eyes. She girds herself with honor and strengthens her ability with patience. She perceives that her work is good. Her candle does not go out by night. She lays her hands upon understanding. She stretches out her hand to the poor; yet, she reaches forth hands to the needy. She is not afraid of sorrow, for her trust is in God. Pride and humility are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with comfort, and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Her associates rise up and call her blessed; her patients also praise her kindness. Many daughters have helped others, but you excel them all. Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain. But a Nurse that fears the Lord -She shall be praised!
What is a Nurse?
By Fred Berk, Hospital Photo Guild If you must get sick, a Nurse is the nicest thing that can happen to you. Nurse come in all sizes, shapes, colors and ages. Efficiently cheerful, they will rustle past you many times a day. When Hercules cleaned the Augean Stables, he set a standard which the Nurse surpasses each day. Buoyed by an immense sympathy for mankind and undismayed by experiences with particular members of that, at times, cantankerous race, they perform miracles of devotion with effortless cheer. When you rub your Alladin's Lamp (or sound your buzzer) your little Genie appears. Perhaps they have been summoned needlessly a dozen
times already. But they are cheerfully ready to soothe you, to help you down your medicine, to smooth down your bed, to answer your fears. The Nurse is the Doctor's guard against forgetfulness, his questioning conscience, at times his challenge, and at all times his skilled right arm. Their charming cap (well, use to be anyway) perches undisturbed through the roughest day. They have no self for themselves. Their all is for their patients. If they are short with one patient, it is because they are pressing to return to the one whose need is greater. The Big Show (life itself) must go on. This is the Nurse's creed, their battle, their drive. They will fight to the end with every trick, every knowledge, ever passion. At the end of the day, the Nurse returns home, physically weary, but with their inner light glowing brightly, for they have richly earned the peace within themselves. If you must get sick, you are mighty lucky to have a Nurse happen to you.
Nurse Prayer
Unknown Author Dear Lord, Grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, and the Wisdom to hide the bodies of those Doctors I had to kill because they pushed me too far....
Survivor Psalm
By Frank Ochberg, MD and Gift From Within I have been victimized. I was in a fight that was not a fair fight. I did not ask for the fight. I lost. There is no shame in losing such fights, only in winning. I have reached the stage of survivor and am no longer a slave of victim status. I look back with sadness rather than hate. I look forward with hope rather than despair. I may never forget, but I need not constantly remember.
I was a victim. I am a survivor.
I'm Sorry In Advance
By Linda Leeson - Licensed Practical Nurse Vernon Jubilee Hospital Vernon. B.C. Canada Your beds not made today But I have a patient here Whose chest pain won¶t go away I¶m sorry in advance You¶re not happy with your meal Dietary does try hard sir, To give it some appeal I¶m sorry in advance Your morning pills are late I¶ve a patient climbing out of bed That I must try to sedate I¶m sorry in advance Your mattress isn¶t soft We do need some new beds ma¶am But these things do cost a lot. I¶m sorry in advance I didn¶t get to comb your mothers hair I¶ve a patient with emphysema She¶s scared, she can¶t get air I¶m sorry in advance Your fathers still in pain I¶m trying to reach his doctor I¶ll have to try again I¶m sorry in advance Your dressings aren¶t yet done But a patient has just passed away, I offered solace to his son, I¶m sorry in advance I¶m not cheery as a bird I¶ve worked 12 hours, my feet ache I asked for help, but no one heard I¶m sorry in advance I¶ve only two hands and two feet I¶m trying to care for you, patient Your needs, I want to meet My 12 hours now are 16, No replacement could be found My aching feet they cry out My head begins to pound I¶m sorry in advance I cannot meet your gaze My eyes are filled with tears Your face is just a haze If I could sit down for a minute And maybe grab a bite Phone my kids to say I love them
And I¶ll be late again tonight I¶m sorry in advance I didn¶t do all that must be done If I worked any faster I¶d soon begin to run When I do get to hold your hand Or wipe your furrowed brow Please understand, dear patient I care for you and how I see your pain, I sense your fear Your anger in a glance, Our health care service is failing you I¶m sorry in advance.
Place Your Healing Touch In My Hands
Unknown Author Help me as I care for my patients today, Be there with me, O Lord, I pray Make my words kind --it means so much-And in my hands place Your healing touch Let your love shine through all that I do, So those in need may hear and feel You.
A Nurse's Prayer
Unknown Author I dedicate myself to thee, 0 Lord, my God, this work I undertake Alone in thy great name, and for thy sake. In ministering to suffering I would learn The sympathy that in thy heart did burn. Take, then, mine eyes, and teach them to perceive The ablest way each sick one to relieve. Guide thou my hands, that e'en their touch may prove The gentleness and aptness born of love. Bless thou my feet, and while they softly tread May faces smile on many a sufferer's bed. Touch thou my lips, guide thou my tongue, Give me a work in sermon for each one. Clothe me with patience, strength all tasks to bear, Crown me with hope and love, which know no fear, And faith, that coming face to face with death Shall e'en inspire with joy the dying breath. All through the arduous day my actions guide, All through the lonely night watch by my side,
So I shall wake refreshed, with strength to pray, Work in me, through me, with me, Lord, this day.
Dedicated To The Man I Never Knew©
I work at Good Samaritan (Dayton, Ohio) on the neurology unit. I love your site. You have done a wonderful job. Thank you for sharing with us. Here is a poem I have written. By Pauline Hamblin As I tend to you, in your death. I feel I know you, by those you left. You must have been, a wonderful man. The strengh and character, of your clan I see love, deep in their eyes. The pain they feel is no disquise. The gentle way , they touch your hand. As you are drifting, to the promised land. Your children talked, of being raised. Respect and devotion, lived at your place. Grateful to God, they appeared to be. Happy to be a part of your family. Your wife's heart, is beating loud. Tears well up, her eyes did cloud. Unable to speak, she begins to cry. Begging to God, to not let you die. So you see, my friend, this life is past. But the values you left, will always last. Though I never knew you, I know you well. Your life, your love, their eyes did tell. Dedicated to the patients that I have attended to over the years. Although I might not know them when they first arrive the love and devotion of their families tell their true story. Regretfully not all patients survive, but the love they have given their family will last a lifetime.
An Old Woman
(Note: This poem was found in the bedside table of an elderly woman living in an extended care facility upon her death.) What do you see nurses, What do you see? Are you thinking, When you look at me; A crabbit old woman, Not very wise Uncertain of habit,
With far away eyes, Who dribbles her food, And makes no reply When you say in a loud voice 'I do wish you'd try', Who seems not to notice The things that you do, And forever is losing A stocking or shoe, Who, unresisting or not, Lets you do as you will, With bathing and feeding, The long day to fill, Is that what you're thinking, Is that what you see? Then open your eyes nurse. You're not looking at me. As I'll tell you who I am, As I sit here so still, As I rise at your bidding, As I eat at your will. I'm a small child of ten With a mother and father Brothers and sisters, Who love one another, A young girl of sixteen, With wings on her feet, Dreaming that soon now A lover she'll meet; A bride soon at twenty; My heart gives a leap, Remembering the vows That I promised to keep; At twenty-five now I have young of my own, Who need me to build A secure, happy home. A young woman of thirty, My young now grow fast, Bound to each other With ties that should last; At forty, my young ones, Now grown, will soon be gone, But my man stays beside me, To see I don't mourn. At fifty once more, babies play round my knee. Again we know children, My loved one and me. Dark days are upon me, My husband is dead, I look at the future, I shudder with dread, For my young are all busy, Rearing young of their own, And I thin of the years
And the love I have known. I'm an old woman now, And nature is cruel. 'tis her jest to make old age To look like a fool. The body is crumbled, Grace and vigor depart. There is now a stone Where I once had a heart. But inside this old carcass, A young girl still dwells, And now and again My battered heart swells. I remember the joys, I remember the pain, And I'm loving and living Life over again. I think of the years, All too few, Gone to fast, And accept the stark fact that nothing can last. So open your eyes, nurses, Open and see, Not a crabbit old woman; Look closer ... see ME.
At Your Side He Will Remain
I love your website and enjoy reading the poem about the little boy talking about his nurse. Here is a poem I wrote for the things we face. I am a nurse in ICU and have been there for 8 years. I need God to help me through the things I must deal with. By Becky Coleman I watch the tears fall of those who stand by. I see their despair tearing them apart inside. I feel so helpless as I watch at their side. Trying to give hope, as my feelings I hide. I want to tell them not to cry. I want to say, "this is only a body - the soul shall never die." At the time I know these words won't erase the pain. Sometimes silence is better than words spoke in vain. A gentle touch, a simple nod is all I can do except a prayer to our Father to see them through. For I know His touch is gentle and will guide them through their pain, and help them realize, at their side He will remain.
On Call
Anonymous
When the beeper went off you were dreaming about running away from your kid's ball game and your job and your home. On your way you review all the steps of pronouncement - you look for the hospice death packet and think about what you will do and say. They meet you at the door, quietly leading you to the room. Everyone is silent, the lights are dim, they are waiting, expectantly. On the hospital bed lies a skeleton - a shell of a person - pasty in color, motionless. There is no heartbeat, no peripheral pulse, no respiration, the eyes are open and fixed. You wonder who this person was, what she was like when she was young, what kind of suffering she endured. You tell the family that the patient has died. The young girl begins to cry, her brother holds her, their mother - the patient's daughter - sits stoically next to the bed, hands folded in her lap. You stop the CADD pump and gently remove the sub-q catheter. You turn off the oxygen concentrator and remove the nasal cannula. You excuse yourself to make the phone calls. The family sits next to their now gone grandmother - touching her hands, crying, reassuring each other that they have done the best for her. The daughter, the spine (pillar?)of strength, is not crying but gently talking to her children. You notify the doctor - he is sad, says he's known her for 30 years, probably will go to the funeral. You notify the minister who says he'll be right there. The funeral director will arrive in 30 minutes. The daughter witnesses for you as you pour morphine and Percocet tablets into the toilet and flush. Paperwork. The daughter tells you her mother suffered from cancer for 20 years off and on - but that the last 3 months were fast and painful until the hospice nurses got the pain under control with the CADD pump.
You calculate what the cancer must have occluded, eroded, robbed, to cause such pain. There is cachexia. There are pedal contractures. The abdomen is grossly enlarged. You tell the daughter the good things you see - how beautifully the skin has been kept, not a hint of breakdown; how nice the hair looks, such an obvious sign of the love and devotion her mother has received. The two young children leave the room and you and the daughter bathe the mother one last time, change the linens, and make her comfortable. You talk to each other and to the body. The daughter begins to cry - you hold her, like the child she is at this moment - the child who no longer has a mother. The doorbell rings, the funeral director has arrived. You encourage the daughter and her family to come into the dining room and have a cup of tea. You go back to the bedroom to assist with the transfer of the body into the funeral bag. Such finality when the zipper goes over the face - you want to keep the family delicately away from the sight of this. It is painful enough for you. The minister arrives. The family gathers in the living room. They thank you for being there and for giving up your sleep in their hour of need. You pack the loose medical supplies, strip the bed, break it down, gather the trash, turn out the bedroom light, and close the door. The equipment company will come in the morning for the larger supplies. You say good-bye and leave. Outside, alone in your car, you cry. A few months later at a mutual friend's wedding, you see the daughter. When she sees you she smiles with sadness in her eyes. You smile back. She knows. You know. She knows you know. That is all. That is enough.
