Aging Poem

Moving Into A Nursing Home

So many of us know the sadness of putting a loved one into a nursing home. Initially we may see them struggle to fit in.

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Oh Pat, I sometimes think if it wasn't for people like you I might just give up writing poetry. I get so low when my poems don't receive any votes. In fact I tried to get one deleted,...

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She Tried To Fit In

Ann D. Stevenson © more by Ann D. Stevenson

Published by Family Friend Poems September 8, 2024 with permission of the Author.

To find room
for her flannel nighties,
a well-worn woollen dressing gown,
her furry slippers
and a few day clothes too.

A much loved book by Agatha Christie,
only one, although
she owned a whole collection,
and a china duck, small, lifelike,
from another collection.

Three photos,
the son who was lost at sea,
her daughter carried away by cancer
and a small picture of her husband
to put beside her single bed.

She brought memories,
muddled up memories,
memories of old songs
she loved to sing,
but sometimes she didn't want to join in.

Sometimes she didn't want to get up,
to be washed, to be dressed,
to mix with others,
sometimes she wanted to go home,
back where she belonged.

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ABOUT THE POET:

Ann D. Stevenson only began writing after she retired, when she joined a Writing for Well-Being course. It was during a difficult time, as her husband had recently been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She found writing very therapeutic, more especially poetry. It was a real boost to her morale when Family Friend Poems began publishing her...

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Now that I'm getting older every day, I often wonder if I will get to this point. As usual, so simplistically, you spoke of tremendous loss in an elderly person's life. I did a paper for school once on depression in the elderly and I learned that doctors are so busy laying on the meds for all the physical problems that they seldom consider that the person may just be deeply depressed. You touched on all the losses this poor woman has endured from her personal possessions to the death of her family, loss of her home which for me would be unbearable. In essence they lose themselves, little by little. Do they ever really feel safe and comfortable again and what do they do with those parts of themselves they loved that now lay dormant, untapped and forgotten by everyone except them. Age to me is the cruelest part of humanity. Your words were incredibly sad, even between the lines. You captured that loss impeccably. Amazing work, as usual! Your friend, Pat

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Oh Pat,

I sometimes think if it wasn't for people like you I might just give up writing poetry. I get so low when my poems don't receive any votes. In fact I tried to get one deleted, but no success so far. Thank you so much for taking the time and trouble to comment.

You are indeed a very good friend. Ann xxxx

Cynthia,

Thank you for your kind words - it means a lot to me as I love the way you write.

Very best wishes,
Ann

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This is so poignant, Ann. We moved my father into a nursing home a few years ago so this really resonated with me, especially the last stanza. Best wishes, Cynthia

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