Let Peace Be...

Farm boys left the plow behind
Picked up a gun and went off to fight.
Landing on some far off beach, frightened
Falling, forever, before the fall of night.

Surgeons fighting desperately to save
A jagged, bleeding nearly shot-off limb.
Chaplains trying to keep souls nourished,
Saying prayers, softly; pleadingly sing a hymn

Nurses going from bed to bed
Trying to care for the wounded and dying.
Always with a smile on their faces,
No one needs to see them crying.

Astronauts fighting the world’s cold war
Lost in an instant in the capsule’s flames.
Others died in the sky, years later
Does anyone even remember their names?

Many wars have been fought by this country
Always, it seems, in the name of peace.
War declared on other countries, that’s true.
More wars fought here, to say the least.

Wars against more deadly foes
If loss of life is what we see.
War on poverty, inequality, ignorance
Disease and injustice, it seems to me.

Lives laid down in the name of freedom
Lives lost so that others might live
Lives lost to help the human race.
There is no more that one can give.

How can we ever repay those who died,
Giving the ultimate gift they had to give?
How can we honor their memory,
Except by the example that we live?

So let there be no more wars on this earth
No more death and dying needlessly
No more hurry to fight those battles
And please, Dear People, Let Peace Be.

I Cannot Help But Wonder Why???

I met a little guy, 5 years old, in my travels as a home health nurse. 

He was dirty, and skinny, and had no shoes. When he smiled, his front teeth were all metal. But when he smiled, his eyes sparkled, and I had to return the smile. He lives with his grandpa who is confined to a wheelchair. The little guy is grandpa's caregiver. He was fascinated with my nursing bag and wanted to see everything in it. I wanted to give him something, so I gave him my tape measure. You would think I had given him a winning lottery ticket! He hugged me for an eternity. 

I couldn't stop thinking about him today; and I derived no comfort from knowing that my own grandchildren live comfortably. I wrote this for that little guy.

Is there some plausible reason why

If God made us all the same,

Some people live in abject poverty

And others vacation in Spain?

Why are children born with birth defects

And heart-breaking anomalies?

Why, in the world’s richest nation

Are there so many poor families?

Prenatal care, post partum checks

Well-baby clinics and education

Why can’t this be a reality

In the world’s richest nation?

Preventative medicine, annual check-ups

Should be a routine part of health care.

Keep people well and functional

And keep them off of welfare.

Children in Appalachia

Just want to learn to read.

Their parents never learned

Too many mouths to feed.

Children in Mississippi

Just want a place to live.

Charities look for volunteers

With building skills to give.

Children wandering darkened streets,

Their parents gone, or unknown

Their fondest hope, and greatest wish

Is to find a warm and loving home.

Children who fear going home

To torture and abuse

Children living a silent tragedy

From perpetrators on the loose.

Is this just an isolated problem

Magnified by Media sensation?

Or is this a horrific travesty

In the world’s richest nation?

We have to look at these problems

The depth, and breadth, and scope

For these children are our future

These children are our hope.

I Give Myself Permission

To Be A Woman:

To recognize and appreciate that which makes me different from a man.

To recognize and appreciate that which attracts me to a man.

To wear dresses, and perfume, and carry a huge purse, if I want

To paint my fingernails and toenails hot pink

To wear a toe ring….a Toe Ring…….how appropriate!

To wear my favorite bangle bracelets.

To Be A Little Girl Again:

To sit on the floor and teach my granddaughter to play jacks

To color outside the lines, if I want

To play “dress-up” at the second-hand store

To sing my favorite songs, out of tune

To laugh for the pure joy of laughing

To say “EWWWWWWWWW” and “Whatever”

To Be A Professional Nurse:

To be a nurturer, a teacher, a friend, and a confidante

To be a fighter, aggressively seeking what my patients need

To be an expert, providing the quality care my patients deserve

To be funny, and fun, and smiling, bringing the sunshine into their lives

To advocate for issues that are important to me, such as child abuse

To Be A Friend:

To enjoy the gift of friendship that has been given to me

To treat each of my friends respectfully, and with caring

To appreciate the things we have in common, and 

To celebrate our differences

To “be there” for them, as they always are for me

To trust and be trusted

To Be A Lover:

To find in another the love that I seek

To appreciate, and not question it

To give of myself completely and not hold back

To treasure the gift that he gives me

To find joy in our relationship

To find love in our lifetime 

To discard expectations and value what really is

To give my heart and receive his in return

To Be All These Things At One Time:

To find my joy and infuse it in all my relationships

To seek knowledge and find it in unexpected places

To give more than I receive, at least initially

To appreciate fully the gifts that I receive from those I love

To hold dear the principles upon which I was raised

To demonstrate my concern for others every day

To laugh at myself, instead of others

To find humor, and love, and caring in out-of-the-way encounters

To be open to change, and embrace familiarity

To be a worthy occupant of this crazy world!

Thoughts On Being A Nurse..........

What should I do when all seems lost?

When it is gone, where does hope go?

When dreams die, do they fade away?

Or is there something I should know?

I work each day as a home health nurse,

Dealing always with illness and dying.

Providing support, and comfort, if I can

To those who are angry, or sad, or crying.

On and on the suffering goes

Hurting everyone in its path.

What kind of Being could be in charge?

Why are so many subject to His wrath?

Is there no light at the end of the tunnel?

No source of renewed hope and grace?

Is nothing that is done going to help the suffering?

Why is this such an awful place?

No! Stop! Don’t go there anymore!

Don’t spread the blackness and the doubt!

I reach inside my heart of hearts,

And pull a ray of sunshine out.

I smile and laugh, and hug a lot,

Giving back what has been given to me.

Seeing the goodness and worth in everyone,

Hoping that they, too, can see.

Life is a gamble, life is a challenge

For every bad thing there is something good.

If I could spread sunshine and love every day,

Trust me, I’m a nurse, and I surely would!

Choices...

Each day, when I wake up,
I make a conscious choice:
Hide myself in silence
Or bravely find my voice.

Go out and do the work
That I’ve been trained to do?
Or take another direction
And leave the work for you.

It isn’t always easy
Or even a lot of fun
But I know I feel better
When my work is done.

I’m really nobody special
I’m just another nurse.
Sometimes I care for the sick,
And sometimes, I write verse.

Life is not all good
And life is not all bad
I just try to make each day
The best one I’ve ever had.

Am I just an idiot?
Too dumb to see my Fate?
Or is my Happy Heart,
A very lucky trait?

Whatever life’s meaning,
No matter what the reason,
I’ll deal with things head-on
Each in its due season.

Please don’t think ‘cause I’m smiling
That I don’t know the score.
I know how anger and grief feel,
I just like Happy more!

Another Day

Another day, another life that is nearly ending,
Another loved one, and tears anew,
Another heart needs mending.

I’m there each time, comforting and caring
Trying to think of the right words to say,
As hearts are torn apart.

Wishing I could mend all the hearts I meet
And all the lives that are empty.

Knowing that I can only mend the heart
That lives inside of me.

Hoping for the best each day and giving love
As if I have a supply, never-ending.

Feeling their pain as they say goodbye
To someone who was too precious to lose
And feeling a little part of me die, too.

Can I change what I see on a daily basis?

Can I save these souls who do not want to die?

I am not magic, nor am I a soothsayer
I only know that, when the time comes that I am needed
I will be there.