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The Forgotten
| Open Poetry #11 |
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The Forgotten |
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John R Member
since 2000-12-14
Posts 141Toledo OH 
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The Forgotten 8AM .......Hey pop time to get up. Oh God!.... here it comes again, that damn chair. Infernal damn torture device; EASY THERE! That's my arm you're pulling there. Why don’t they care? Oh God!..... here comes the tray. What’s in this slop anyway? Can’t they hire someone who can cook? Boy! My Clare, she really could cook. Why did she have to go and die before me? God!.... I loved her so. Oh well! Maybe today he’ll show. What's this more new pills? How many does that make now? And they wonder why I don’t eat, filling me up on all those damn pills. 10AM” “Same crap different day.” Isn’t that what they say? Sit me by the tube, think I’m amused, what do they know? Oh well! Maybe today he’ll show. 12PM Here we go again, more of the same old slop and they wonder why I don’t eat. Man!.. your getting thin old pop. 2PM Time for a nap you say. Why? I’m no kid. But.... at least I’ll get out of this damn chair. Boy if I could feel my butt, I know it sure would be sore; EASY THERE! that arms attached you know. Oh well! Maybe today he’ll show. 4pm .......Time to get up old pop. .......Time to get ready to eat What? You call that a nap? PLEASE NOT THE CHAIR AGAIN Oh well ! Maybe today he’ll show. 6Pm Another fine meal Huh! and they wonder why I'm so thin. Oh well! Maybe today he’ll show. 8PM Man I know my butts getting sore. I hate this damn chair. HEY! YOU THERE! ......doesn’t somebody care? 10PM Oh well! Just another day I guess. No show. What did I expect? At least it’s time to get out of this damn chair. 12AM AH!!!...... the famous blue pill. put the old boy to sleep huh. a lot they know. Why doesn’t he ever show? 2AM God Almighty! I can’t sleep. I wish I could, forever that is. Wish I could be with my Clare. Wish someone would care. Why doesn’t he ever show? 4AM ........Joe time to get up. What? In the middle of the night I don’t want to get up. .......Why do you say that Joe? .......Don’t you want to go? Who are you? Can you hear me? .........I always hear you Joe. ........Clare’s waiting. ........It’s time to go. 6AM Hey pop time for your pill. Why you smiling that way? Hey you okay? I’ll give him a shake. Oh No!... he’s cold. Man!.. why did you have to pick today to go? 8Am Is this Mr Smith? ........Yeah! What do you want? This is the home......... About your dad. ........What? Who? The home about your dad. ........Oh! What do you want? He passed away today............ Mr Smith are you there?................. Mr Smith are you Okay?................... .......Yeah.......I didn’t know........ ........was he sick? He looked fine, all day Christmas Day sitting in his chair. Looked a little sad though I would say.......... Hard to say.......... with him not being able to say. ........Did he suffer? Strange thing though, since you ask. Never seen the man smile. Had a face like a mask. Always thought it was the stroke. But....I swear it looked like he had a grin. When can you come in? .......Give me a few minutes. .......I’m really busy today you know. .......Why did he have to pick today to go? If a dream touches us, it exists to us as anything else that touches us. John |
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| © Copyright 2000 John Romstadt - All Rights Reserved | |||
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passing shadows Member Empyrean
since 1999-08-26
Posts 45577displaced |
reminds me of my father when my mother died...yeah.....this is sort of spooky but good |
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RainbowGirl Member Elite
since 1999-07-31
Posts 3023United Kingdom |
Oh wow! I don't have words to express how I feel about this...sad just isn't enough... Superbly written, it reached me, touched me... HUGS |
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Sunshine
Administrator
Member Empyrean
since 1999-06-25
Posts 63354Listening to every heart |
As this could fit either an elderly lady or gentleman, it makes me that much more pleased that we will be able to entertain my husband's 92 year old mother in our home tomorrow. Sad to say, this is too often true... Karilea If I whisper, will you listen?... I would rather be silent and write, than speak loudly and be bound. KRJ |
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KokoStewartKoomoa Senior Member
since 2000-12-04
Posts 580Waikiki, Hawaii |
Bravo for this well expressed reminder in this poem! Merry christmas and thanks for this caring work! Passion,imagination and intellect running together... Poetry in motion~~~ Aloha with warmest regards, Koko |
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Kit McCallum
Administrator
Member Laureate
since 2000-04-30
Posts 14774Ontario, Canada |
This is so very sad and holds such truth John. Far too many are in this situation ... you've penned a wonderful and honest message here ... well done!  Best wishes, /Kit |
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maxtec1 Senior Member
since 2000-12-09
Posts 577Garland, Tx |
very good writting. it is very heart felt. Love and light, Richard |
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ethome Member Patricius
since 2000-05-14
Posts 11858New Brunswick Canada |
Wow! is this ever sad John but there is so much truth in it. All too often the offspring get so involved in their own personal life that they are content to leave the very ones that brought them up to lay in a home where there is only care with no love. This is inhuman as far as I am concerned. Man you really captured the scene so vividly John. The wife gone and the old man waiting to join her where he remembered the love that made his life complete. Kind of reminds me of Harry Chapin's song 'Cats in the Cradle'.... take care........ethome |
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John R Member
since 2000-12-14
Posts 141Toledo OH |
Passing Shadows~~~Thanks for reading The story has some truth in it. RainbowGirl~~~Thanks for the kind words. It was written to make people think. Sunshine~~~Yes it is often so true. The elderly are often forgotten very sad. There is a story behind this poem. I am glad your familyu can be together. Koko and Kit~~~Thanks for reading and seeing the message behind the words of the story. Richard~~~Thanks for reading Ethome~~~Yes it is sad. The story was developed around a Pt. I took care of in the Surgical ICU where I work. An elderly man who had a stroke. He couldn't speak because the stroke left him aphasic. The nurses would get him up everyday into the chair, he was on a ventilator, He hated that chair you could see it in his eyes. He had a son that didn't live too far but out of town who never visited. He would promise to visit and the old guys would light up when we told him, but the son never showed up. It was sad and the man finally passed away alone without his son there. This seen is repeated so often in nursing homes also. People get so caught up in there own lives that they forget the one who really matter. Merry Christmas to everyone! If a dream touches us, it exists to us as anything else that touches us. John |
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nakdthoughts Member Laureate
since 2000-10-29
Posts 19200Between the Lines |
sad, John...I have seen that, felt that...and when my dad was ill 3 years ago and in a nursing home thinking he would improve I would have done anything to get there to see him and missed it myself by 2 days of flight time...I can't imagine anyone being within driving time and not finding the moments to share some love...sorry...I am getting a bit emotional...there is a wonderful grouping of poems that if I can ever relocate them I will send you there... ~Wynter huggzz "The worst prison would be a closed heart". ...Pope John Paul II |
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