Heroes

He returned from Iraq a morsel of what he was

Paraplegic and helpless

He returned to Margaret

His wife of 13 years.

She bought a hospital bed

And bathed him daily

She gave him massages to help circulation

She cooked his special diet

She combed his hair and brushed his teeth

She brought the bed pan and urinal

She read stories to him from his favorite books

Lifted his head with pillows to watch television

And watched the shows he liked

Even Sunday football that she detested

 

She cut his fingernails and shaved him daily

She washed and ironed his sheets

Ever cautious of germs and infections

She cut his food in small portions

And fed him, each bite lifted to his lips

She religiously administered his medications

Each dose exactly on the prescribed hour

She turned him regularly in the bed

To avoid the danger of bed sores

She made daily efforts to make him laugh

And see some shadow of hope

And when he suddenly died in his sleep

He was given a military funeral with the great error

Of calling him the hero instead of her

Reviews

[Imagine Blade]

I'm a nurse and I can't help but sympathize how this woman feels.
It's hard to take care of a paralytic.

Hell.

It's hard to take care of any patient. More so if they have a debilitating condition like cancer, paralysis, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and even heart problems.

No, I am not saying that it's hard physically. It's hard to take in the emotions you feel because of the fact that you're just human yet you're forced to face life and death in the different walks of life.

I salute this read. I will share this to my nurse friends.

Beautiful. Simply beautiful.

[DrD]

Please do share it. Heroes are made of greater things than arms and chants of war.

[Meallea Pomorette]

This reminds me of our topic, The Truth of EDSA...
My teacher said that there is no greater love than to lay your life down for a friend...
And I see Margaret here taking care of her husband which is a lot of sacrifice on her part... Just imagine how much she had given up take care of him...
So it's like she threw her life away for her husband who in the end, died in his sleep...

Heroes are not always the ones who fight in the battlefield... It's not always about the honor but it's about facing sacrifices which others try to ran away from... Everyone is a hero in their own way...

There's no need for medals to prove that you're a hero... There's no need for recognition because life still has a long way to go and there are still many challenges to face...

thumbs up...

[DrD]

I think it is an equl love to dedicate your life to a friend . . . . Thanks for you visit, Mealiea, I hope to see you here again

[Meallea Pomorette]

My pleasure...
(^_^)

[Coyote Poetry]

A very sad poem. People who take of the Soldier with care and tenderness are the hero's too. A very sad ending to a excellent poem. Sad thing the poem is real life in today world.
Coyote

[DrD]

It is indeed sad, Coyote, but always worth writing about

[ur_ginger_girl]

wow, the ending is so true, great read.

[DrD]

Thanks absule

[Ees]

Nice topic. I am sure that they shared in the role of hero, just in different ways. It is nice to look at it from the angle of the wife and surely women like that are heros and surely there are many, many of them in the world.

The poem works really well, for me, except for the last line of each stanza. I think in both instances the flow is disrupted and the impact could be grater if you felt like looking at those two lines and reorganizing them a bit.

This was a good choice of topic, particularly.
Nice work!

[dunnia]

this is amazing im speechless

[James William Dyer]

Very well done.

[DrD]

Thanks a lot, James

[jacob erin-cilberto]

oh yes, on the ending...

they are both heroes, but she is the forgotten one.

great sentiment expressed here, well done.

jacob

[DrD]

Thank you, Jacob

[william keepers]

Yes, far more heroes go unrecognised then those that are. As I read more and more of your work Dr.D, I am coming to expect the unexpected. The abrupt change in the last two lines really drives home the message. The subject of your poem is very fascinating. Not common, yet not as rare as one might think. No one really knows the power of their own love until it is put to a test like this. None the less, people like this are precious for they are usually the last to see themselves as heroic. This was very moving, thank you.

[DrD]

Thank you, William and I hope you visit again soon

[Mia]

Sometimes there is just nothing you can say after reading a poem. But you comment anyways because you want to be part of it. I read your words!

[DrD]

Thanks, Mia. I can always count on you.

[Anu Biswas]

You invoke powerful feelings and deep questions. Who is the hero? What is the error? She detested some of the things she had to do to make him feel better. Was she resigned to this? Did she feel resentful? Was it just a duty she performed? How did he feel about lying there helpless? Interesting. Very, very interesting. Thanks again DrD.

[DrD]

The questions are endless, Anu, and maybe the only answer is love.