I have always enjoyed creative writing and as part of that, poetry. I have read good poets before, and therefore know that I am not one of them!  Similar to my karaoke singing - I do it because I enjoy the experience, not because anyone else does :)

I have recently been looking at figures of solitude and likening them to the experience of growing old, as witnessed by volunteering in Hospice. My most recent examples are the scarecrow sitting alone in the field where his lifelong enemies have now become a welcomed visitor, and the snowman who's life starts out full of happiness and joy with lots of activity and ends with his being alone as he succumbs to the elements that are breaking down his body.

Perhaps you have one to share as well?

The Snowman

I hoped that you'd stop by today, as a visit would be nice

I've been stuck here in one place, trapped by walls of ice

I can't do much on my own now, so on others I must rely

for simple tasks, or just to chat - or a shoulder and a cry

The days they pass so slowly, though some seem not to end

alone here on my own now awaiting on a friend

as each day repeats the sorrow, and each day brings with it pain

I still long for a tomorrow to see what I might gain

And now that you are here today I've forgotten what to say

my mind's not quite as sharp as it was back in the day

but to see your face, to hear your voice, paints a blissful smile

my heart fills with love and joy I've not felt for quite a while

When life begins to melt away and I feel a bit downtrodden

It's nice to visit with a friend to know I'm not forgotten.

                                                                  B Tramposh

You need to be a member of Hospice Community Forum to add comments!

Join Hospice Community Forum

Email me when people reply –
 

CAREGIVERS STORE

Recently Published!!
by Maryclaire Torinus

Surviving Hospice: A Chaplain's Journey into the Big Business of Dying Plus: How To Find a Trustworthy Hospice 

This narrative is an insider’s look into the hijacking of hospice by private equity and professional investors and the subsequent harm to patients, their families, and to the interdisciplinary clinical teams. It was released by a NYC publisher on October 31, 2023. For sale on Amazon.

The author, a hospice chaplain, tells end-of-life stories of her patients who were harmed by financially-motivated policies. This is a book for anyone who is embarking on making a choice about a hospice for their loved one, working chaplains, those in training, and those interested in what dying is like with a hospice who places patients as their primary stakeholders.

Maryclaire's experience working for an owner who sold to a private equity firm helped her to realize that the reputation and viability of hospice is in jeopardy. Her goal is to alert all who love hospice to rid it of professional investors.

— Stacy Juba, author, editor, and award-winning health journalist

"Powerful, beautifully written, and eye-opening, this book spotlights the inner workings of a multi-billion-dollar industry and the effect on patients, families, and hospice staff. The author shares poignant accounts of hospice at its best and worst and the hard-hitting truths she learned on her journey. A must-read for family members exploring hospice care."

— Laura Kukowski, CEO, editor, For-Profit Badger Hospice, LLC

"Maryclaire Torinus speaks with authority, providing this essential handbook for choosing a hospice care team and why that selection really matters."

Greg Schneider President, HVA, co-author of The Changing Face of Hospice Volunteering in Hospice and Palliative Care 

"When I first found out that Maryclaire Torinus was writing this book, I immediately contacted her because in my 25+ years supporting hospice volunteers, I have seen a gradual decline in the quality of care volunteers are permitted to provide the dying and their families. There are a variety of reasons for this that I describe in the Foreward of this book. Maryclaire provides invaluable insights that everyone should know, along with solutions to help others make the right choice in choosing a hospice."

Buy Now