A
Man Of Great Courage
It seems
forever ago that I knew him,
But occasionally my memory returns;
To a time when, as a nurse, life was different,
To the life which has long since been gone.
Their lives were turned upside down without mercy,
Ravaged by a disease they were helpless to fight;
In the fifties, that dreaded disease was polio,
Affecting children and adults, one of whom I now write.
This man's home was made of iron, armholes along the walls,
His only view...above him.. the plain white ceiling;
No stereo or television crowded his mind or thoughts,
Only he and God knew the emotions he was feeling.
This man was special.. he possessed such great courage,
Even knowing the bleak future that lay ahead;
But a true fighter he was.. never being a quitter,
He was determined to make the most of this bed.
One night, while I was caring for my patients,
The unexpected happened, I clearly recall;
A sudden thunderstorm.. a cessation of electrical power,
Sent me scurrying to this man, down the hall.
The iron chamber lay motionless and quiet now,
Extreme distress darted forth from his eyes;
Manual compression of the bellows was now up to me,
I silently prayed that God would, through me, provide.
For the duration of the storm.. I continued,
Until at last precious power was restored;
With God's help.. we'd survived that terrible ordeal,
Now the look in his tearful eyes was my reward.
As I looked in the mirror above his misty eyes..
Now darting to photos of his dear family beside;
He voiced to me from the depths of his heart,
"If you hadn't been here, I might have died."
I'll never forget this man....Paul Yorkston*,
And the progress he made over the years;
With the use of the rocking bed, and his God-given talents,
As I pause to remember.. there's a smile...and there are tears.
Twilah
* (1924-1995)
Written for his widow in 1995