Comments on: Poem: The Second Hospital

By: butterflyzrfree

butterflyzrfree — Sun, 03 May 2009 11:08:15 +0000

Lovely write! I worked as an RN for about 20 years, and stroke and other neuro patients expressed the inability to speak as being the most frightening part of the recovery. I relt these patients needed TLC and always explained to families who were intimidated by the system (unlike the family in the poem) the importance of their love and interaction with the patient. Your perception of the hospital is very enlightening to me. No one bothers to explain anything to the families, and it is rough. imo a lovely write!!! butterflyzrfrees last blog post..Poetry Contest

By: Rosemary Nissen-Wade

Rosemary Nissen-Wade — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 00:32:24 +0000

Oh, this one pierces me! The anguish of so wanting to be heard.

I’m loving the restraint with which you’re writing these, which makes them so powerful.

By: Ellen Goldstein

Ellen Goldstein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 19:47:41 +0000

I love the last two lines of this poem!

By: J.C. Hewitt

J.C. Hewitt — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:37:02 +0000

Thank you Lillie. I would be miserable if I couldn’t talk.

By: Lillie Ammann

Lillie Ammann — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 23:52:58 +0000

John,

Two things really resonated with me:

- “not designed … for anything besides treating the body”: When I had a stroke, I just hated that the medical staff kept referring to me as “the stroke in bed 1″—I wanted to scream, “I’m not a stroke; I’m a person!”

- “we couldn’t understand her and she so wanted to be heard”: After the stroke I couldn’t talk for several days—I thought it was talking, but it just came out as strange sounds; not being heard was terrible.

In the previous poems, I’ve identified with you and your family; in this one, I identify with your mother.

Lillie Ammanns last blog post..Thanks to February Commenters