Having worked in healthcare as a registered nurse for a long time in the past, this haiku resonated with me quite deeply.
It has a sincere ring of truth to it. I often was that parking lady (in nurse role) with the faces of family who came to visit loved ones every day. Often I would care for the visitor as much as the patient, especially in cancer wards and palliative care positions.
A beautiful haiku that shows us so much of the human condition from the exhausted visitor to the caring staff who respond instinctively to an unspoken need.
Thank you for each of these sensitive responses. The first time I encountered the car park attendant she was quite brusque and gave me strict instructions about every aspect of parking in the hospital grounds. The next few days she greeted me pleasantly enough but on the 10th day when I was at the metre fumbling with change, she gave me a quick hug and a few comforting words.
This is poignant, Beverley. You have perfectly captured the ephemeral relationships that develop between patients’ family members and hospital staff. I loved your use of the word “quick” to describe the hug; it brought me right into the scene.
5 thoughts on “tenth visit”
Having worked in healthcare as a registered nurse for a long time in the past, this haiku resonated with me quite deeply.
It has a sincere ring of truth to it. I often was that parking lady (in nurse role) with the faces of family who came to visit loved ones every day. Often I would care for the visitor as much as the patient, especially in cancer wards and palliative care positions.
A beautiful haiku that shows us so much of the human condition from the exhausted visitor to the caring staff who respond instinctively to an unspoken need.
Thank you for each of these sensitive responses. The first time I encountered the car park attendant she was quite brusque and gave me strict instructions about every aspect of parking in the hospital grounds. The next few days she greeted me pleasantly enough but on the 10th day when I was at the metre fumbling with change, she gave me a quick hug and a few comforting words.
Rings so true. There’s no such thing as a small kindness.
This is poignant, Beverley. You have perfectly captured the ephemeral relationships that develop between patients’ family members and hospital staff. I loved your use of the word “quick” to describe the hug; it brought me right into the scene.
Bittersweet, this intimacy with hospital folk. Perfectly wrought, Beverley! Thanks for capturing it.