The Visitor

He drove on up to the Nursing Home

For the first time in a year,

He needed to get some papers signed

So he sought his mother there,

The matron pointed him to her room

With a wave of a careless hand,

But sitting next to his mother’s bed

Was the figure of a man.

‘So what the hell is he doing here?’

Said the son, in a burst of rage,

‘He has no right to be visiting,

To be here, at any stage,

They’ve been divorced for eleven years

And I thought he’d gone for good,

He’ll just reduce my mother to tears,

You should ban him, yes, you should.’

The matron halted outside the door

And she went to hold him back,

She said, ‘Oh yes, I know you now,

You’re the son they all call Jack.

She probably doesn’t remember you,

But you see, he comes each noon,

He sits and chats, and he holds her hand

And he feeds her with a spoon.’

‘Her mind has wandered away, you see,’

Said the matron, with a smile,

‘She’s somewhere back where she used to be,

But you, it has been a while.

There’s not the staff to attend to her,

If I institute your ban,

You’ll come each day, and you’ll fend for her?’

He said, ‘I don’t think I can.’

He watched them both from outside the door

And he saw his mother smile,

The man he’d known as a stepfather

Was as gentle as a child,

He stood outside and he caught her eye

But she gave no sign she knew,

He bowed his head and the matron said,

‘I would call that love, would you?’

He put the papers away, he knew

That she wasn’t fit to sign,

Then turned to go as he said, ‘You know,

I’ll come at a better time.’

The matron ushered him to the door

And she said, ‘We’ll see you, Jack,’

But deep inside was a truth that cried

He’d never be coming back.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[TPK Stories]

Such a sad tragic story....loved reading it.

[Avinash]

A striking reminder of love one could not offer in times of need. The accompanying guilt made him resolve never to come back. Very complex but deep write.

[Coyote Poetry]

A real life story feel to this one my friend. Hard to learn understanding sometime. Thank you David for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Raj Sahu]

The poem is fabulous. You write amazingly well. I love the rhymes and the story depicted through poem. Thank you for sharing. 😊

[Bryanna]

Wow, this had me feeling all sorts of emotions. absolutely gorgeous, eager to read more of your work :)