Psych Ward by auntietk

Writers • Realism • posted on Mar 14, 2009

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Description

Psych Ward No longer capable Of living in the world They move you To adult family care Things get better Then worse As the doctors Frantically adjust your meds This way and that Looking for balance Hallucinations start in earnest You yell Call the police Certain that there are people In the attic In the basement Being tortured You can hear them Screaming in the night A physical complication Increases the hallucinations They cannot keep you quiet Cannot calm you down You call the police Three times in one week Wake up other people in the house In the middle of the night To warn them Of the danger Your accusations Start a full-scale Investigation They have to check Your report of abuse Even though You live in a rambler You can't stay there So they move you again This time to a medical facility Where they can Deal with your Drug-troubled mind Psych ward They say it will be just A couple of weeks Their goal Is to keep you quiet You need a sign For the back of your chair "Caution: Brilliant, Creative, Hallucinatory Woman. Handle With Care" I can only imagine The scene on the floor The day you Organized the patients Lined them up At the window To go down the slide You were sure Was an emergency exit To freedom I'm sure Everyone was glad that day For the foresight and planning That doesn't allow Windows to open On the psych ward The tale continues The ending is unknown If this were fiction I could tie it up Create resolution But this is your life And all I can do Is speak for you As the story unfolds .......... My friend Patricia continues to deteriorate with Parkinson's. She responds to humor, knows who I am, asks to hear stories about my life ... but her own stories revolve around things that have happened only in her mind. Do not confuse this with dementia or alzheimer's ... it's a whole different ballgame. .......... Cover page created in ArtRage and Photoshop Font is Brass Monkey .......... Reminder! You only have until Monday night to submit your challenge piece to the Writer's Challenge / Contest, Alone in the Dark Voting starts on the 17th and will close on March 20th at noon!

Comments (22)

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durleybeachbum

5:23PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

I had no idea that Parkinsons could take this course. Astonishing information, and your work gives a clear insight to the rest of us. Thankyou!

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emmecielle

5:24PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

Moving words... I'm sorry for your friend!

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Faemike55

5:32PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

I grieve for your friend's loss! great and moving words

PD154

5:47PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

I echo Andrea, great work indeed Tara luv Hug for your friend.

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artaddict2

6:43PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

Oh Tara this is such a powerful and yet poignant piece of work. I read every word and read a few verses again to grasp the full impact. left me staring into the screen not knowing what else to say !

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jeroni

6:47PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

Excellent shot, fantastic colors and details

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bmac62

8:06PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

So well done. At a complete loss for words after my first reading, I went for a visit back in your gallery and read for the first time "Deterioration" and "Side Effects". These pieces help put "Psych Ward" into better perspective for me. Having seen the masking, the mumbled, soft speech and general deterioration of Mohammed Ali, the tremors and speech problems of Michael J. Fox, the tremors that came on my grandfather in his later years all caused by this wicked disease, I am not surprised by what you describe here. There must be a great feeling of helplessness on the part of all those close to a victim of PD. Once again, in a few lines and a few words you've shown a powerful light on a subject almost unknown to most of us. Somewhere deep down Patricia knows you to be a friend...one of the few solid points of contact she still has in her life. Thanks for telling us what this is like. Wow.

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barbdennist

8:07PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

I'm glad you are there for your friend. This is a very moving piece and my heart goes out to both of you.

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cmolsen2002

11:03PM | Sat, 14 March 2009

So powerful, and so painful, Tara. Beautiful writing.

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AndreiR

12:53AM | Sun, 15 March 2009

This is such a sad story told by a friend, loving friend who can only sympathize but too is powerless against nature. Beautifully written! Thank you for sharing.

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helanker

3:17AM | Sun, 15 March 2009

This is a very sad and touching poem, Tara. I didnt know Parkinson could be like that.

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beachzz

3:53AM | Sun, 15 March 2009

This touches me so deeply. It's not the Parkinson's that causes all this insanity; it's the drugs given to counteract the symptoms. I feel I know Patricia in so many ways, because you've told me about her. I also know someone who lives with it in early days; but I'll never know what it's truly like for either of them. Powerful, poignant, beautiful words, Tara.

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anahata.c

6:16AM | Sun, 15 March 2009

yes, very powerful, and I too didn't know Parkinson's had this effect, or (as Marilyn says) the drugs have this effect. And no, it's not alzheimers...With illnesses similar to this, part of the agony seems to be that the sufferer knows they're stricken with these terrifying visions but at the same time they can't come out from inside them; and the dual state, at least in the earlier stages, can be very painful. (I've seen something similar with other ailments; perhaps it applies to Parkinson's as well.) I'm so sorry for your friend. You've written trenchantly and directly and it's a very moving piece and a tribute to what she goes through every day...

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JeffG7BRJ

7:13AM | Sun, 15 March 2009

An informed piece, written from the heart and I'm sure you brighten Patricia's day whenever you talk to her or see her. I feel deeply for your friend Tara. Very moving prose.

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sandra46

9:27AM | Sun, 15 March 2009

An extraordinary poem!

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hipps13

1:11PM | Sun, 15 March 2009

wonderful heartfelt words, Tara May warm hug and love, Linda Kaye

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jocko500

1:48PM | Sun, 15 March 2009

so sorry to hear of this state. wonderful writeing

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moochagoo

3:03PM | Sun, 15 March 2009

I agree with barbdennis :)

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lil_sizzler

5:06PM | Sun, 15 March 2009

Very informative. Thank you for sharing your friend's story. I know what it's like to work with patients in "lock down" units. My heart breaks when I encounter patients in the prime of their lives with these devastating illnesses. My best to your friend.

lucindawind

8:07AM | Mon, 16 March 2009

wow fabulous writing ... very sad too

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