I have alluded to the fact that I have some serious chronic health problems, and along with them go some substantial amount of time in or at the hospital. Both last week and today I spent a good part of a day with the nurses of I.V. Team at the hospital where I receive most of my medical care. I have a port-a-cath in my chest for I.V. access, and they have been diligently (if not a bit frantically) trying to dissolve a blot clot that had formed in and/or around the port. I am incredibly happy to report that after today's administration of clot-busting drugs, we were successful, and all is well. I have known these wonderful women for about ten years, and they never cease to amaze and impress me with the kind, compassionate, professional, and gracious way they do their jobs under the weight of great pressure and responsibility. I wish that I could name every one of them and show you their photos, but to protect their privacy, I will not do so. However, they know who they are, and I think that they realize how much I appreciate their excellent care. Nursing is a complex and difficult profession, and thank God that we have women and men that have been willing and able to meet its challenges to care for us when we are at our darkest times.
I am always on the hunt for poetry books in thrift shops. I especially love the ones that contain poems written by people who are not professional or well-known poets. And so, a couple of months ago I came across a small green book entitled, "Nurses' Verses - An Anthology of Poetry by America's Nurses". The copyrights were between 1941-1943, so I think that it is safe to assume that the poems were written by nurses during the 1930's. Most of the poems have nothing to do with nursing per se, however, for this post, two of the three poems that I have chosen pertain to their hospital nursing care. I will feature several other nurse's poems from this book in future blog posts. So, without further adieu, our nurses' verses ---
The Hospital
There is a warmth of kindness here
For those whose heavy hearts are
Full of pain - who seek again
Their own familiar selves.
It is a place of truth.
The bright lights burn far into the night
To save some shattered soul.
I, too, shall be a part of this
Before long.
--Jean H. Osborne
Photograph courtesy of the Graphics Fairy
http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/
They Walk
She walks - the nurse in white, at night
To see if patients sleep,
To every room, beside each bed
The night watch doth she keep.
She walks - the nurse in blue, up hills,
Down valleys dark and deep,
In storms that beat against her will
Her night watch she doth keep.
She walks - in spirit with a light
Where soldiers can not sleep.
All through the long and troubled night
Her gentle watch doth keep.
They walk - with radiant faces bright -
Each shepherdess of sheep -
In garmets that are spotless white
They fold us in for sleep.
--Marie Charlotte Buckley
...To all of the lovely nurses who take care of me...
How Lovely You Are
The sound of your sweet voice upon the night air -
A soft golden moon seems to halo your hair.
Your blue eyes are brighter than starlight by far,
It rivals your beauty -
how lovely you are.
The trees bow down humbly as you pass them, dear,
Each rose lifts its petals - more closely to hear
The lilt of your foot steps, your light laughter too;
They're proud of your beauty-
so lovely are you.
I, like the trees, and the starlight and flowers,
Envy your smile, your strange hidden powers;
In each of your eyes the Lord placed a star
He, too, knows your beauty,
how lovely you are.
--Virginia Zarder
Until we meet again...
Be Well and Happy!!!
Let's Get ready for Halloween!!
Robin
I am always on the hunt for poetry books in thrift shops. I especially love the ones that contain poems written by people who are not professional or well-known poets. And so, a couple of months ago I came across a small green book entitled, "Nurses' Verses - An Anthology of Poetry by America's Nurses". The copyrights were between 1941-1943, so I think that it is safe to assume that the poems were written by nurses during the 1930's. Most of the poems have nothing to do with nursing per se, however, for this post, two of the three poems that I have chosen pertain to their hospital nursing care. I will feature several other nurse's poems from this book in future blog posts. So, without further adieu, our nurses' verses ---
The Hospital
There is a warmth of kindness here
For those whose heavy hearts are
Full of pain - who seek again
Their own familiar selves.
It is a place of truth.
The bright lights burn far into the night
To save some shattered soul.
I, too, shall be a part of this
Before long.
--Jean H. Osborne
Photograph courtesy of the Graphics Fairy
http://graphicsfairy.blogspot.com/
They Walk
She walks - the nurse in white, at night
To see if patients sleep,
To every room, beside each bed
The night watch doth she keep.
She walks - the nurse in blue, up hills,
Down valleys dark and deep,
In storms that beat against her will
Her night watch she doth keep.
She walks - in spirit with a light
Where soldiers can not sleep.
All through the long and troubled night
Her gentle watch doth keep.
They walk - with radiant faces bright -
Each shepherdess of sheep -
In garmets that are spotless white
They fold us in for sleep.
--Marie Charlotte Buckley
...To all of the lovely nurses who take care of me...
How Lovely You Are
The sound of your sweet voice upon the night air -
A soft golden moon seems to halo your hair.
Your blue eyes are brighter than starlight by far,
It rivals your beauty -
how lovely you are.
The trees bow down humbly as you pass them, dear,
Each rose lifts its petals - more closely to hear
The lilt of your foot steps, your light laughter too;
They're proud of your beauty-
so lovely are you.
I, like the trees, and the starlight and flowers,
Envy your smile, your strange hidden powers;
In each of your eyes the Lord placed a star
He, too, knows your beauty,
how lovely you are.
--Virginia Zarder
Until we meet again...
Be Well and Happy!!!
Let's Get ready for Halloween!!
Robin
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