Category Archives: poem

Older people give so much more than they take from us

While we treat the elderly as a set of symptoms and problems, we ignore what we will be one day

 

“Older people are not that much different from their younger selves: they want to feel valued; have contact with others; give something back and have control over their lives.” Photograph: George Shelley/ Corbis

Andrew Motion has written a poem for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s new website, A Better Life, part of a five-year project to promote a positive agenda for older people. The poem distils fragments of lives past: red varnished toenails on a Llandudno honeymoon; “defending the realm” as a soldier then slaking its thirst as a brewer; Rowena who likes “a slice of sponge cake”. Well intentioned, the poem comes over with as much bounce as a mattress with its springs taken out.

Poem by a Carer……A bad back

It’s hard to carry out caring,
When your back refuses to bend,
And you cannot get your socks on,
Because your leg seems to have no end.

But you cannot be ill as a carer,
The job is still there to be done,
But with backache, it’s like doing the firewalk,
But not nearly half so much fun.

So get yourself up out of bed, lad,
Leave the sheets warm, smooth as silk,
Creak to the bathroom and wash time,
Then go get some bread and some milk.

Try find a comfy position,
Sitting, standing, lying and then,
Hold it for a couple of minutes,
Until duty starts calling again.

So lots of pills and medication,
Will soon have you up , feeling frisky.
O!! Bum to the painkilling tablets,
And pass me the bottle of whisky.

Author A Carer

And that was the Carer’s weather forecast

Over now to the Carers Weather Centre for the latest forecast.

Good morning.

As you can see from the weather chart behind me, the outlook is not good. Signs of spring have been delayed as a deep low sweeps across the country driven Northwards by gales of hot air from Parliament in the South.

The Carers weather Centre has issued a warning of an imminent severe depression as the air movement increases around Budget Day.

Outbreaks of tears will occur in East Anglia and across the whole of the Midlands during the day and these are expected to spread throughout the country overnight and into tomorrow.

These outbreaks may be severe in places and will be followed by clouds blocking out any light that could be seen at the end of the tunnel.

A band of worry will move in from the North East and cover the whole of the United Kingdom over the next few days.

Patches of laughter may arise in some areas but these will be shortlived so make the most of them while you can.

Tempers will remain at the seasonal average as an anticyclone of frustration moves in from the West bringing with it some alarm and despondency.

Night time tempers may cool a little but relationships with patients may get frosty during the early hours.

A plague of frogs, locusts, destruction and savage thunder with lightning will take place on Tuesday but the rest of the day will be bright with sunny intervals.

Author………A Carer