Wheelchair

The ability to walk gives one freedom, once that is impaired, one is sentenced to a life of permanent chains.

He cannot taste the freedom
Of walking once again
The days and nights may come
But his legs feel no more pain.

Like a candle melting slowly
His life just ebbs away,
And fleeting Hope may swiftly
Leave words he cannot pray.

Illness had brought him in,
Imprisoned in his wheelchair
The chains although unseen,
Is his permanent affair.



Cynthia Buhain Baello

Reviews

[A. Mourraven]

This poem strikes the heart. My grandmother is in a wheelchair and the one thing she longs to do is to be able to walk. In this poem are you talking of a quadriplegic or a paraplegic? I'm guessing it may be Poliomyelitis (Polio) since you state that "illness has brought him here" or is that a methaphorical statement.

I'm a little unsure of the line "Like a candle melting slowly His life just ebbs away." Is the anonymous person unable to use his entire body, a quadriplegic? I understand what it means but I find it may be controversial in a moderate way.

I'm sorry for rambling on but I wanted to thoroughly review this wonderful poem. It is heart wrenching. I look forward to reading more of your poetry and prose!

[cynthiabuhainbaello]

Thank you Samantha - the poem was actually born from a photograph taken by my late brother who loved to take photos of ordinary people and objects around him. The person in the photograph is bent over in anguish at his inescapable state, and the image of frustrating helplessness can be seen from the photograph. I wrote "illness" and "candle melting slowly" as I assumed the person had bone cancer and was dying. I have seen a friend or two succumb to this kind of illness and it was devastatingly painful and a slow death. Diabetes is also one illness that can cause this paralysis and decay of the nerve tissues of the legs.

[Serenity Faith]

This poem is intriguing, mostly for a pessimist. My Papaw, was in a wheelchair for nearly 60 years of his life. He was shot in the back in WW2. He taught me more than anyone with legs ever could. He was always rather optimistic as well, and would never hesitate to challenge anyone to an arm wrestle (automatic wheelchairs made you weak, ya see) The only real problem I ever saw him have, was the game Operation...he didn't have the patience for it ^_^ All the same, a very nice poem.

[Ed Hart]

what you say is true and well said...i wonder what the genesis of these thoughts were