I go through Life with my heart pounding On the move Trying to fit it all in Jazzercise grandkids after school Canasta housekeeping scrapbooking Writers Circle Bunco beading dinners out shopping lunches with girlfriends puppy dog time
On hospital mode my heart rate diminishes I am diminished
I'm comfortable on a plastic recliner where my feet dangle Enough to sleep in it fully clothed Though only at 3:00 am when exhaustion overwhelms me And only for 25 minutes or so at a time Inbetween the moans and nurses' voices and the sound of my name being called
It's kind of like camping out with just the bare necessities: a toothbrush, a good book, a warm blanket
Rather than throwing another log on the fire- learning to cover the vent with an extra sheet to warm us up
Rather than hearing the cacophony of crickets- it's the sound of monitors beeping in some strange chorus up and down the hall
I watch him sleep as hours float by His face covered in grayish whiskers, nose hairs out of control, sideburns pushed sideways by the pillow
Is he in pain? Is his breathing irregular? Is his color more natural?
I want to climb over the rail and snuggle next to him wound up in his wires and tubes
As hard as it is to be a patient- It's tough to be patient waiting for the light to come back to my husband's eyes
Diane M. Perrone enjoyed a 30-year career with Cincinnati Public Schools, during which she wrote instructional units, manuals, and grants. Eight years ago, Diane and her husband, Wally, migrated to Jacksonville, Florida, where she only writes what she loves. Inspiration for this poem came during Wally's month-long hospitalization following the removal of his left kidney. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments.