What do you see nurses?.....................What do you see?
What are you thinking...........................when you're looking at me?
A crabby old man..................................not very wise
Uncertain of habit..................................with faraway eyes?
Who dribbles his 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 sock or a 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 am a small child of Ten.......................with a father and mother.
Brothers and sisters .............................who love one another
A young boy of Sixteen....................... .with wings at his feet.
Dreaming that soon now ......................a lover he'll meet.
A groom 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 man of Thirty......................................my young now grown fast.
Bound to each other..............................with ties that will last
At Forty my young ones.........................have grown and are gone
But my woman'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 wife is now dead
I look to the future...................................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 man..................................and nature is cruel.
Tis jest to make old age...........................look like a fool.
The body it crumbles................................grace and vigour depart
There now is a stone..................................where I once had a heart.
But inside this old carcass........................a young guy still dwells
And now and again...................................my battered heart swells
I remember the joys..................................I remenber the pain.
And I'm loving and living.......................... life over again.
I think of the years, all to few....................gone too fast.
And accept the stark fact......................... that nothing can last.
So open your eyes ,people.......................open and see
Not a crabby old man......Look closer........see ME
***********************************************************************************************************Remember this poem when you next meet an older person who you might brush beside
WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE YOUNG SOUL WITHIN
We will all one day,be there too!
Richard Cornish
BREATHE EASY = FRIENDSHIP.
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details BLF
Written by
KingoftheCocktails
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This made me cry. It is lovely puff, you're right, I recognise myself, except I'm not dribbling to much at the moment!! It's sort of heart-warming and sad at the same time.
Most of the health professionals are doing as much as they can for us and we could not be much better looked after.
So I am going to keep my chin up and stop feeling sorry for myself and get on with it.
KOTC -- I found this so emotive and moving. I felt sad but it is how life turns out. I was looking at my wedding photo only today and couldn't believe how young I looked. But that is life! Wouldn't be good if all of us in the forum could get together and really meet other!! Perfectly true that the brain feels younger than the body.
This has been around for many years - it was given to us as part of some training I had when working in an old folks home in 1984; I hopeyou like the reply, too:
The Nurse's reply -
What do we see, 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 do -
Patients 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 your lives 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,
that's absolutely brilliant everyone should read that. its true. some think because your old you know nothing and feel nothing, don't think it applies to nurses as much as other people you have have to deal with, lots of them think your brain dead even if you have qualifications and experience way above them , my thoughts after a visit from a engineer the other day..
ah well grit your teeth carry on
you can put things right when they are gone
a pipe that was long enough to do your chore
cut up into pieces you can use no more
a new pipe installed twice as thick
twice as heavy , makes you sick
only half as long and then you ask
how do i reach that distant task
whose brain decided change was needed
when its done its job year on year
who do they employ that do these things
and THEY think we are queer
breath easy and hide your pipe away he may call to change it sometime today
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