Hospital
You see birth,
Walking through the corridors,
Slowly breathing, stopping and starting
Screaming, shouting and groaning
The sounds vibrate through the walls
People arriving as one person and leaving as a family
There is a rush a quickness
Pain, screams, and moans
Cries and pain
And then there is silence
An eerie silence waiting for that cry.
The cry that fills the room,
People hold their breath
And then a smile fills the air
A happiness that they have never felt before
A family is born
A tranquility over takes
Although it is not quiet,
It is peace and it is happy
You see fear,
People rushing in lights flashing,
Babies bundled in their arms
Mothers fearful, gasping for hope
Not wanting to let their child go
Passing you the most precious thing in their lives
Trusting you,
Praying for you to help,
Hoping, pacing, crying screaming silently inside
Pacing watching on, only being able to stand there
Waiting,
Listening to the quietness in the air,
There are noises for sure
Beeping and crashing and talking
But all that disappears when they are waiting.
It all goes past in a blur and is silent movement
Nothing gets passed the waiting.
You see death
People running down the corridors,
Trying to get their loved one on time
Knowing they haven’t got long
The loved one, laying in the bed
Not moving just waiting for their time
Feet are pounding, again a silence is among the people arriving
This is a unbelievably scary silence
One where your walls are closing in,
They are struggling to breathe to get there on time
They thrash through the doors waking the ward
And they slow down
The air turns cold
The ward turns grey
Everyone knows what is happening
No one says a word
The silence is interrupted a weeping is heard
Trolleys are moved, motions are in place
Respect is given where respect is due
No one speaks
People leave but others stay
Suddenly the pounding relatives leave you
A bag in their hand
Head down, and tissue at their face
There is noise now
Massive noise, an unbearable noise
Where they can no longer think
They walk faster your walls are closing in
They need to escape they don’t need to be here
They are healthy they need to get out!
_________________
This post was brought to you for the Writing Workshop. The prompt this week was to go on a word hunt and spot a good word or phrase. Hospital is a word that I am currently seeing on a daily basis we have loads of appointments and it is a word I can not escape from at the moment.
Please pop over to see the rest of the posts.
What an amazing poem! thanks for sharing it.
Sarah
Thank you I am glad you liked it xx
I really enjoyed that! x
Ah thank you xx
Hospitals are such strange places. They harbour such emotions and yet somehow manage to be emotionless at the same time.
I must admit one of the blessings I count in my life is that I have had little to do with hospitals. They scare me more than a little and not just because they are so big and full of people and strange smells…
Brilliant thoughtful post x
Thank you, you are so correct they are full of emotion but completely emotionless at the same time a brilliant statement about them xx
I have spent a lot of time in hospitals in my life, and you have captured it’s atmosphere really beautifully Kerry. Thank you for taking part x
Thank you for reading. I am glad that you liked it xx
I hate hospitals.. Spent so much time there in the last year while my grandfather slowly got worse… They are full of fear and grief – except of course the maternity wards, in most cases. I’m sorry you’re spending so much time there..
I hate them too, but sometimes they are so needed aren’t they, thanks for reading xx
I’m fortunate enough to have only been to hospital myself for little things. Would hate to have to spend any great length of time in one. Even when they try to make them nice, there’s always that antiseptic tang in the air. Great post!
There is always that smell, however they try to disguise it, it is still there. I hate them always have. Thank you for reading xx