Are You Alright?
You sat with me for hours
when I was on a medicine journey
but not when I had 46 stitches in my mouth
not when I kept a stainless bowl by my bed
because the nausea was that bad
My mother delivered tea and toast
on the floor by the couch when I was sick
She sighed like a prison guard
who was overworked and was quickly off
to other concerns
“Enjoy yourself,” you said
before hanging up
and quickly added,
“as much as you can”
“Are you alright,” a friend texted
“I’ve never been “all” right I answered
“Oh my, I hope you’re babying yourself”
another friend texted with hearts and flowers
“My chin and jaw are swollen
I look like Jay Leno,” I joked
“I couldn’t get those instant cold packs to work
So I held a bag of frozen corn on my face”
Now I’m here with lots of time
to think and feel
and the hurt is so real
they gave me painkillers
____________Colleen Redman / Poets and Storytellers United
May 17th, 2024 2:13 am
OUCH!!!
The physical hurts, I trust, will ease in time. The others …?
May 17th, 2024 5:37 am
That takes me back. Frozen peas were the anesthetic of choice at the time.
May 17th, 2024 7:33 am
Physical merged with emotional pain … the latter seems to linger more in our memories.
May 17th, 2024 9:50 am
Love it – I couldn’t get those instant cold packs to work !! – Same here !! Well written.
May 17th, 2024 1:44 pm
Ow, this is wincingly real!
May 19th, 2024 1:39 pm
It makes me feel sad to know you have known pain, without competent and gentle support from loving caregivers. Ouch.
May 23rd, 2024 3:31 pm
This is painful to read, but also a bit funny with all friends and family with all those texts… I hope it is better now.
May 23rd, 2024 3:44 pm
I’m so sorry about the pain, Colleen – both types.
May 23rd, 2024 3:46 pm
I’m sorry you feel so bad! But on the plus side, your poem is wonderful. I love the dialogue and the visceral descriptions of things, and this image of your mother is such a good character description:
“She sighed like a prison guard
who was overworked and was quickly off
to other concerns”
And I love this response from your friend:
” “Oh my, I hope you’re babying yourself” ”
I wish you a speedy recovery! 🌸
May 23rd, 2024 3:48 pm
Pain is something that can be experienced only alone. Reminds me of some dental procedures I’ve had but even those were nothing compared to what you are describing. Hoping the painkillers can do what they are advertised to do. {{{HUGS}}}
May 24th, 2024 12:19 am
I do hope your pain eases, it sounds so bad but from bad times good poems do come.
May 24th, 2024 1:23 am
Oh, dang, Colleen. I am sorry you’ve gone through this. But, you are brilliant and I love your poem.
May 24th, 2024 1:58 pm
Such a stunning, visceral poem–all the hurt, physical and emotional. I hope you are better than “alright” now.
May 24th, 2024 2:54 pm
I really like the way you presented the emotions in this poem, using vivid images and dialogue to convey the pain and neglect of support. I think technology has definitely hindered our interactions. I can relate so much to this. I hope you are doing well.