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The bells ring and the doors open.
The congregation moves like a wave though the doors.
Each one dips their hand in the well to wash away the sins of the world
Then one by one they find their pew
They kneel
They pray.
To each God or not as to their custom
The prayers are the same.
"Please let them live."
"Please let them die."
Depending on the situation.
For one hour.
They pray.
Then the deacons call for the closing him.
"Visiting hours are over."
Silently the congregation files rises to their feet and file out of the pews.
They dip there hand into the well again
Say a silent good bye
And are on their way.
poem entitled Visiting Hours in the ICU
c anne ford
6 Feb 2011
I should have written it down this morning. This version is clunky.
Let me see if I can remember.
They come through the doors like a wave.
Nope can't use that because of the image.
Hmm
Visiting Hours @ the ICU V 2.o
Through the doors they come.
Dip their hands in the water.
Wash the sins of the world away.
All kinds.
One by one
One by one.
They fill the pews.
On their knees they pray.
"Please let them live."
"Please don't let them suffer."
"Please don't let them die."
The lessons of life and death are taught.
Then it's over with the words,
"Visiting hours are over."
c anne ford
6 February, 2011
This is closer to what I was thinking this morning. But still wordy.
I should have written it down but there were things to do.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
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ReplyDeleteI like both of the poems. The read better than they did while being written.
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Nothing says dysfunctional like family in the middle of a health crisis.
Sometimes.
I was sitting there dreading what was to come.
We were listening.
Stealing conversations.
One drove a truck and talked about the drive.
Another drove a car and talked about the ticket.
The last one?
She urged that ambulance driver to go fast.
Her loved one was dying.
I listened
Eyes shut.
No one knew the other but it was all talk about cars.
c anne ford
6 Feb 2011
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ReplyDeleteVisiting Hours at the ICU
Visiting Hours @ the ICU v 2.0
From Songs of Live and Death
Collected Poems by C Anne Ford
all rights reserved by the author
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ReplyDeleteA Kind Word
I'm not sure how they do it. 20 beds filled with people so very ill. 20 families concerned. 40 ears that may or may not hear what's being said.
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ReplyDelete.
"...hymn..." not "...him..."
Time for the typo/spelling fairy.
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