LIFE CHANGING 1940

LIFE CHANGING 1940

A Poem by Terry Collett
"

A WOMAN WHO IS BLIND AND LEGLESS IN LONDON IN 1940

"


Life changing
the Blitz bomb
took my sight
and my legs.

Clive gone too
at Dunkirk.

I recall
our last kiss
as the train
left London.

I sit in
this darkness.

Hospital
smells around
and voice sounds.

Morning Grace
a voice says.

My blind eyes
turn around
to the sound.

Who is it?
I enquire.

Doctor Clay
I have come
to see you
and see how
your stumps are
the voice says.

They're painful
I tell him.

Nurse we need
Grace to be
lying down.

Between them
they lift me
on the bed.

Fingers lift
my nightdress
and unwrap
bandages.

Fresh air hits
the leg stumps.

His fingers
examine
what is left
of my legs.

They're healing
very well
he tells me.

Soon we will
have someone
sort you out
for new legs
he informs.

I thank him.

He goes off
and the nurse
(small fingered)
now attends
to some fresh
bandages.

As her fingers
touch my thighs
I recall
Clive touching
me there too
that last time
before he left
for the War.

I stare out
into dark
cold spaces
and a far
away shore.

© 2017 Terry Collett


My Review

Would you like to review this Poem?
Login | Register




Reviews

Bayjaysus the hospital smell - I recall that - that overpowering smell of what...bleach...iodine...meths...

God this is affecting.
War has been reduced to statistics on pages and the human story has deliberately been 'whitewashed' over.

Posted 7 Years Ago


1 of 1 people found this review constructive.

Terry Collett

7 Years Ago

Thank you, Tony

Share This
Email
Facebook
Twitter
Request Read Request
Add to Library My Library
Subscribe Subscribe


Stats

98 Views
1 Review
Rating
Added on March 10, 2017
Last Updated on March 10, 2017
Tags: LONDON, WOMAN, 1940

Author

Terry Collett
Terry Collett

United Kingdom



About
Terry Collett has been writing since 1971 and published on and off since 1972. He has written poems, plays, and short stories. He is married with eight children and eight grandchildren. on January 27t.. more..

Writing