General Chat

Look Closer
WHAT do you see, nurses, what do you see?
Are you thinking, when you are looking 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: ‘1 do wish you’d try,’
Who seems not to notice the things that you do,
And forever Is losing a stocking or shoe,
Who, quite unresisting, 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, you’re not looking at me.
1’ll tell you who I am, as I sit here so still,
As I move 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 a true lover she’ll meet;
Bride now at twenty — my heart gives a leap,
Remembering the vows that I promised to keep,
At twenty-Jive now I have young of my own,
Who need me to build a secure happy home;
A woman of thirty, my young now grow fast,
Bound to each other with ties that should last:
At forty my sons will soon all be gone,
But my man stays besides 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 l00k to the future, I shudder with dread,
For my young are all busy, with young of their own,
And I think of the years and the love that I’ve known.
I’m an old woman now and nature is cruel,
‘Tis her jest to make old age look like a fool.
The body it crumbles, grace and vigour depart,
There Is a stone where I once had a he art.
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 alt 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 crabbit old woman, look closer – see ME!
By Phyllis McCormack

Dizzi, I saw this on a thread a little while ago and it made me cry.

My youngest g,daughter starts her apprenticeship on Monday at a care home for people with mild dementia. She has been studying social care and physcology in 6th form.

I read this out to her last week and we both had a tear.



:-)

THERES A NURSES VERSION TO

A Nurse's reply "To the 'Crabbit Old Woman"

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,
There are other old people, and we must be there.
So please understand if we hurry and fuss -
There are many of you,
And so few of us.

I,d like to see that when you have time

Thanks :-D

Thanks Dizzi

Relevant too in the hospitals and nursing homes

Lovely Dizzi, thanks. I've seen the first one before, but not the second. So sad :-(

Love the poems.

Unfortunately Britain treat our old people with contempt, we as a nation don't cherish our elderly, we should be ashamed.

George

Don't worry George, we all cherish you ;-)

Yeah, right I'm sure :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

George :-) :-) :-) :-)

:-D :-D :-D

Just sent these verses to my friend's daughter, who has passed her exams to become a geriatric nurse? in Germany. Her father owns and runs an old folks' home there but she has been working in a different one to avoid any talk of favouritism.

i am sure she will appreciate the words, her mother is English so she is fluent in both languages.

Lizx

Thanks,Dizzi,like Wend I have seen the first one before,but not the second one,it really brought a tear to my eye.Essential reading for staff working in a hospital or aged care nursing home. :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Margot.

Careful George :-D Wend,s looking for a Toyboy. :-D :-D :-D :-D