Sick Man’s Stroll: A Kind of Rehabilitation
Sick man’s stroll
Variations of
An ambling gait
And a staggering shuffle.
The slow stroll
Moves along
Like a metronome
On easy tempo
Gradually
Bringing breath
And circulation into
A kind of rhythm
But oh,
To cross the road,
Turtles could pass by
As try, we do
To gather a little more pace
Into the race
To the pedestrian island.
All that is now needed
Is a dowdy hat
And a shabby old cardigan
With turned up cuffs,
Buff or beige,
And with pockets
All sagged from
Hands, hankies and
Whatever else,
With traces of lunch
Lurking between the lint
On its surface.
And we amble on
Willing the legs
To return home
To their former vigour.
Can we handle the rigour?
Of this new metered life?
Calculated, paced, slowed
Oh, who knows
Where this stroll
Will go?
What of tomorrow?
Forecast of a shower,
Some shuffles between
The sleep.
You know what I mean?
The slow creep
Of the stroll to rehabilitation.
Simon C.J. Falk 10 November 2017
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Hi Simon – slow but sure is the way to go .. take care and all the best Hilary
As I’ve discovered. Thanks Hilary.
One day at a time, Simon. Keep shuffling forward every day, and take care of yourself, and pretty soon you’ll have your lively gait back.
Thanks Mary. The shuffle improves daily 🙂
slow but sure Simon … remember the tortoise and the hare?
I do Susan. In fact I was naughtily hinting that even the tortoise was swifter than me. Am a bit better each day, thanks.
Oh, I love, love this poem. How beautifully you have expressed the agonizingly slow pace of life on the road to recovery! Or that of someone who is aged and has to become habituated to this sloth like pace because they know it won’t get better, only worse. There were many lines where I smiled to myself and pictured my grandmother who had to walk the same way because of a knee replacement surgery. This was amazing.
Yes, yes to all that, Pradita. I have observed others and now understand much better myself. Thanks for your kind and perceptive comments.
You’re most welcome 🙂
Also, may I reblog this?
Yes. I’d be honoured. Thanks. 🙂
Yay! Reblogging it now 😀
Reblogged this on The Pradita Chronicles and commented:
Good Morning Folks!
Saturday is a good day, because there is only a no-work-day after this. Time to stretch those limbs and do what you want!
I’m sharing with you today a work by a fellow-blogger and a dear friend, Simon, who blogs at Simon’s Still Stanza. This piece is about the slowness of convalescence and the frustration of it. I’m sure you too have, at some point in life, gone through a similar experience, when you had to slow down because your body was still recovering, or your heart was.
In these last few days of this year, read and remember, and be compassionate to those who have to now go through the same. Help spread some smiles and cheer.
Have a Great Weekend!
Simon, you may be slow, but this was moving. Great poem and story. Have a Merry Christmas & Happiest of New Years. 🙂