Odyssey

It’s a five-hour round trip, What with the ferry, shuttle, a Twenty-minute walk, sometimes the bus, Just to see him for a couple of hours. Sometimes he’s not doing well Or is sleeping while I’m there. It’s been such a long time! First there was the back operation. They said it went well, that soon I Could see him in the recovery room. But then he had the stroke! Those weeks in intensive care When they kept asking him Every hour if he knew his name, His birthday, his middle name, The president, the year! At least he could answer, if Only haltingly. When the pain Was dulled, he slept, So lethargic it was scary! He developed pneumonia, Fluid around the lungs, too, And had to have a drain, Along with all the IVs, And so many tests! EEGs, X-rays, scans, ultrasounds, Over and over again! Finally, release to a room Out of the ICU, but still tubes And tests and more tests! We sat by his bed, day after day, Watching him sleep or trying To engage him in conversation. Putting his bed up, putting it down, Getting nurses to reposition him, Wetting his mouth with sponges, Taking turns to get a break. Then, after thirty-one days, At last, to the rehab hospital! Progress, pain, setbacks, complaints (Who wouldn’t complain?) At present he’s making small steps. He is able to swallow all right, So no more pureed food! He can stand for a short time In the standing frame, A little longer this week than last! The physical therapy is slow and Sometimes discouraging, Retraining those unused muscles. Certainly it will be many weeks yet, But now I can see a future when He will come back home to us, To me and to his beloved Bernese Mountain Dog, Andy, And his cats, Sweetie Pie and Sophie, And he’ll be back to his old self again!