THE CARER

THE CARER

“Who cares for the Carer?”

There are thousands of them out there

Who put their lives on hold,

Who take the time to care for

Those who are sick, troubled or old.

They do it continuously and willingly

And rarely do they complain.

But in their heart of hearts

I know they feel some pain.

They are on duty 24 hours

And answer in a patient way

The very same question

That has been asked fifty times that day.

They lock the doors and windows

And put the knives away

From those who have forgotten,

And oft are in harms way.

They administer medication

And appointments keep on time.

They bring them home from busy roads

And sometimes a railway line.

Sometimes the days are better

Than others have been before,

Then it settles into a routine

And days go on once more.

The agony of caring for a child

As if it were your own,

Whose body is adult in many ways

But whose mind has never grown.

The child you bore and hoped to raise

To be an adult too

Still lingers in the childhood mist

And still depends on you.

A loving tender husband

Who now no longer knows

How to tie his shoelaces

And often takes off his clothes.

A wife of many years

Now childlike in her ways

He has promised to be there

To care for her always.

The agony of friendship lost

In that still and vacant gaze

An awareness of a black space

That fills so many days.

The carers need s some care too

Some tenderness and praise.

A hug, a smile a special touch

As they bravely live their days.

They need some respite from their load

So that they can bravely still care.

They need to feel supported ~

They need to know we are there.

If you have ever walked this road

Then you will understand ~

This is not the way you wanted things

But the way that it was planned.

© Linda J. Vaughan

19th. September 2003