Deirdre Neilen, PhD: Gloria Heffernan recently published "Exploring Poetry of Presence." The poem she sent us, "Call Button," praises the work of hospital nurses.
"Call Button"
She is matter-of-fact
as she carries the bed pan
to the toilet, empties it,
peels off the latex gloves,
fixes my sheet.
Please don't apologize, she says,
Young enough to be my daughter.
Attentive to details I can't begin to discern.
Solving problems I don't even know I have.
And then on to her other eleven patients --
to their bedpans and IVs,
stained sheets and unasked questions.
Some cogent enough to say thank you,
others already retreating into silence.
The woman two doors down
howls long into the night,
Help me.
And so she does.
Again and again,
until the woman wears herself out
and falls asleep.
At 3:00 am the nurse wakes me again
to check my vitals.
Sorry to bother you, she says,
Please don't apologize, I reply.
She records my numbers,
pats my arm and says good-night.
Two doors down,
the woman moans again.
Help me.
The nurse hears the call and goes,
Her footsteps rhythmic
as a beating heart.
