Grip closet doors, knobs—
Why is everything so slippery?
DO NOT CALL 911.
I can get up; I will get up.
Just get out of my way.
I’ll find my grip.
I imagine his unspoken
struggle like my own eight weeks
earlier—lying face up, helpless
to turn over, a turtle, a broken
bird—but he has diabetes
Blood sugar dropped to 43
he lies in a rug cushioned hall
and the difference between his
fall at 89 and mine at
62 is a century.
Go away, come here, leave me be
I can do it. I’ll find the phone.
I’ll call 911.
Let me try again, again, pull
my body backwards and back down
Heavy torso, head leg pain
Where is everyone? Where am I?
Father
and I sit in ER
He
is patient—I visitor
We
have very little to say.
He
eats as he must to adjust,To stabilize his blood sugar.
We do what we must to survive
That is our silent agreement
every day, but particularly
today—Easter Sunday—when I
think of resurrection.
It brings mortality home.
ReplyDeleteoh my....i hope this was not your weekend...it is so hard to see a parent in the hospital
ReplyDeletehaving just gone through this with my father and his heart attack....you def realize they are not
the immortals we thought they were as kids and that death comes ever closer....
I can totally feel this - got home a few weeks ago and grandma had been taken to hospital. Diabetes, mini strokes.. It's difficult to deal with those things, and hospitals. I sure hope you have a better week!
ReplyDeleteNot much to say here ...a bitter-sweet piece
ReplyDeleteZQ
this is life's experience -parents are precious May Allah grant them all health and happiness and then miracles happen...touching expressions
ReplyDeleteMy comment broke :(
ReplyDeleteRoughly what I said was - I really feel this poem as I've had a similar situation. I like how you present it.
Diabetes is a such a scary condition, putting the body (and mind) through such extremes...this is quite a stark look into the moment by moment experience.
ReplyDeleteSteve K.
Oh..this is so touching... parents are priceless possession of a child....
ReplyDeleteSusan, you take us right into the room with you..........parents' mortality brought home.
ReplyDeletewe deal with what we have to... the human spirit does that in times of upheaval and crisis... stark and real Susan... well done
ReplyDelete