Best Caregiver Poems
The Lord is my Caregiver indeed
I shall not be anxious of my health’s need
He makes me to relax, from pressures to be freed
He leads me toward serenity with His comforting deed.
He restores my soul against guilt’s pain
He guides me in the paths of faith exercise-terrain
Toward practice of sharing and goodness-gain
For His name’s honour without strain.
Yes, though I walk for physical strength, and not ride
I will enjoy; fighting fears of weight I cannot hide
For He is with me, my Saviour, Shepherd,* Redeemer and guide
His wisdom and counsel direct my steps not to backslide.
He prepares a table with nutritious food before my sight
In the presence of sweet delicacies’ tempting blight
He feeds me along festive nourishing delight
My appetite is savored well and right.
Surely kindness of His spirit will flow
And I will continually thank Him, making me glow.
*Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
(Dramatic Monologue in Rhyme)
May 15, 2024
Poem of the Week, May 19-25
3rd place, "Modern Version Psalms 23" Poetry Writing Contest
Sponsored by Miranda Hawley; judged on 5/22/2024
Note: Sundowning – Most commonly in Alzheimer and Dementia patients, Sundowning, is changes in behavior that get worse in late afternoon, evening and can even last all night. Patients may be agitated, confused, unable to sleep; it may appear in other forms of disruptive behavior.
Eight sleepless nights, pacing non-stop;
legs, knee-bent, dragging toes are scraping carpet.
Enduring a painful back; each breath drawn
makes it throb and exhaustion’s in control.
I can’t sleep until he sleeps;
must stay awake in case he falls.
I hold my breath to stand;
it dulls the sharp stabbing pain in my back.
I swallow another migraine pill and
pray for him to fall asleep; he does not.
Respite eludes me; caregiver to a dementia-mind,
I collapse into a chair, dizzy and call myself an ambulance.
I’m drained, hungry and he’ll Sundown several nights.
I pass out and am brought around by an EMT;
my patient's oblivious to the fact that
anyone’s come into the house…
he paces…and paces…
Caregiver
Caregiver,
You came into our family
As a river of hope.
Ever flowing, always there,
Providing loving care,
So we could cope.
Caregiver,
You became an uncaring taker.
With your undue influence
You spent her money
On your own selfish wants.
Under false pretenses, you dragged her along daily,
Using her vehicle for your own personal errands.
Like a foe you fought our family!
As we became wise to your machinations.
And when your goose was finally cooked,
Your last act was to vandalize in secret,
Leaving her heartbroken.
Oh, Uncaring Taker,
How unconscionable were your actions.
How hateful you became.
Why were you this way?
How I would like to make you pay,
But it's her wish to leave it this way.
***
December 9, 2019
F T I SPECIAL family
Brian Strand, sponsor
Copyright © 2018 by Mark Toney. All rights reserved.
Published 2018 in "Up In Smoke - A Collection of Poems" via wattpad.com
The Caregiver
“Stop baby girl”, cried my daddy
be careful lest you get yourself hurt
and more often than not foolish words I would utter
and spew forth out of my mouth in one big blurt.
As a child, I saw into the heart of this daddy caregiver
when he had to paddle me with an otherwise gentle hand,
and I would see the tears that would well up in his eyes
when afterwards I was told to stand.
And momma would warn, choose your friends and close associates wisely
it was the lesson all of us would nightly be taught,
Lest you learn their ways only to find
your feet in the same snare will certainly be caught.
Oh, yes, you try your wings out to see if you can fly
before your chosen time,
only to learn hard lessons were to be gained
which brought you absolutely no peace of mind.
During our formative years these same parents with some
old and new teachers would bring wise teachings into our sheltered life,
trying to help and spare you from hurts
they had had that caused them much pain and dreadful strife.
For we have a Caregiver Whose watchful eyes
will always and ever see,
and such loving arms have then and ever
were always tenderly hold up you and me.
For you see a caregiver now and then has to take a strong stand
not giving in to his charge’s will,
knowing it is for their good and not evil
if they will not run from the correction but obey and stand still.
And, then one day it seems we see
the full picture and reason for it all,
for our God is our Ultimate Caregiver Who gave Himself
to and for us only once but totally now and for all.
Written by: Marilyn S. Jennings December 2011
Being a caregiver I am more than just an employee , I am a friend,a best
friend, and to some I am even considered family.I am someone's
caregiver and I am their hope , their strength,their courage,I am their
hero,I am their life,I am their everything ! I am someone's caregiver,and
I help them do thing's they can't do anymore, I help them get out of bed,
I help them eat,I help them bathed,I help them dress,I help them walk,I
help them clean,I help them read, I am their driver,I help them think,I
help them remember! I am someone's caregiver and they are more than
just a job to me, they are my friend,my best friend,and my family,they
are my hope,my strength,my courage,my hero,they are my life,and they
are my everything. I am their caregiver and I love them !
By: Donna Dyar
Dear Caregiver…
You told me to stand alone
so I stood there in shoes I’ve outgrown.
You said many things
and need I not forget how you would sing
in those car rides with the windows down.
Late at night listening to the tires scale the ground.
I always knew when you felt some kind of way
by how red your eyes got and how lame your head would lay.
Needless to say your moods were episodic.
You’d say yes and mean no, but eventually I got it.
I couldn’t wait for mornings when the nights were too dark.
I would lie alert staring at the stars that sparked.
The stars that gave me life also gave me a mellow sorrow.
Something about the way they breathed light into rooms so hollow.
Bright sun rays started my days
and the heat was enough to set fires ablaze.
Hot with rage the teapots blew.
You said it was the cure to your
blistering headaches after you had a few.
A kid like I, I wasn't a pesky thing
I dressed myself and even answered the doorbell when it would ring.
My dog Rex was never too far behind.
Whenever I needed help he was all I could find.
Down the street I would spot my school bus.
It was always reliable, stable, and a savior for both of us.
Before you knew it I was gone.
Day after day holding on to clothes I’ve outgrown.
I think I missed the teapots the most.
Pouring cups in the mornings is what brought us close.
After looking at photo albums I had to spare,
I removed the one picture I had of you.
as if you wasn’t even there.
Caregiver
It’s who I am and what I LOVE to do
I’ll make you smile when you’re feeling blue
And help you get well when you’ve got the flu
I will do the things no one else cares to do
I'll care for you as I would my own child
Make sure you have your usual style
Yes, I know this may take a while
But all the while, I’ll be wearing a warm smile
First, we will get you showered
This will take us about an hour
I will apply your make-up and brush your hair
Then, we’ll decide what you will wear
I'll get you dressed and tie your shoes
Now, that you’re groomed we can leave the room
Next, we eat in our usual place
I promise to always keep you safe
Yes, I have your Kleenex just in case
I grab the paper and read you the News
Make your bed and do laundry too
How I do it; people don’t have a clue
My answer; "If you only knew"
The joy I have in making their grey skies blue
Caregiver, it’s who I am and what I love to do
As a mother, sister, daughter, or friend
I am a Caregiver to the end
Lay
I am sitting
In my electric wheelchair
Attached to the oxygen tank
In the old age home
Thinking about sex
I think
Therefore I still am
And maybe
Just maybe
With God’s help
I’ll get lucky
Mama's here, little one.
Even when she's not.
Her arms are wrapped around you,
She loves you a lot.
Mama's always by your side,
Even when she can't talk.
When you're at your best.
And even when you're at your worst.
Kai loves you.
Mama loves you.
Nothing could be more true,
Than the words I speak when I'm with you.
I want to be there for you.
I want to lift you up.
Someday, we'll meet.
Someday, I will.
I'll press butterfly kisses all over your face.
I'll sqwoosh your cheeks and hug you close.
I'll cuddle with you all the time.
I'll never ever leave your side.
One day, we'll meet.
Then, you'll see.
Mama's here. Mama's with you.
She'll never ever leave.
When Tigger can't bounce,
And Pooh hates honey.
When Peter Pan can't fly,
And Mater isn't funny.
That's when I'll stop loving you,
That's when I'll move on.
When Patton can't smile,
And Roman drops his sword and runs.
When Logan can't find a solution,
And doesn't even try.
When Virgil gives up on the others,
And becomes the bad guy.
That's when I'll leave you.
When the world ends.
Only then,
Will I not be your friend.
I may not be good at everything,
Or even good for you.
But I swear on my life,
I could never stop loving you.
Not you.
Not Alex.
Not Al or Kat.
Not Kayden.
Not Katie.
Not Rory or Batts.
Not Megan.
Not Joan.
Not Cassie or Jen.
Not Marie.
Not Zoe.
Not Olivia or Em.
Not Emma.
Not Beet.
Not Caelum or Kali.
Not Cas.
Mot Gabby.
Not Serena or Bailey.
Not Xavier.
Not Rihanna.
Not Natasha or Mac.
Not even Malaya.
Not even Sonnae.
Not even if there isn't a person that loves me back.
I could never stop loving,
All the people in my life.
Past or present,
Even if they weren't nice.
Mama always loves you.
She'll never move on.
Mama won't ever stop loving,
Even if everyone else is gone.
Mama loves you.
Your highs and your lows.
Kai loves you.
They'll protect you from all your foes.
Mama's always here, little one.
Even when she's not.
Her arms are wrapped around you.
She loves you a lot.
Bone-drained, there is no respite, no split second of peace. The “sundowner”, a hyper-active toddler in a man’s vehicle, never sleeps nor sits.
When I succumb to that one precious moment of rest; I am awakened to a furnace running full blast in a freezing cold house and on a nineteen degree night. A butter knife has removed a window; the culprit and dementia-mind panics; he’s terrified of being trapped in a fire. There’s no arguing with dementia-mind; it’s best to play along with the his ideas.
Another day of madness and I awake to a frantically screeching doorbell; it’s his nurse. I've revived in the floor. A migraine faint pulled me down; I’ve had no sleep for eight nights, you see. Sweet respite…she says she’ll, “sit with him”, so I can lie down a bit; a pleasant miracle; such happenstance is a rarity.
Dementia-mind has no solutions, only hallucinations, delusions; absence of mind and aggression for the “sundowners”. I watch at breakfast, as he pours his milk upon the floor; he has no clue of what he is doing or why;
he stares, mindless. When the eyes go blank it’s obvious; he’s not in there. A robot gone haywire, used to be my Father. The last thing to go, were his mathematical skills. Dementia-mind has forgotten so many people; how to swallow, but recalls numbers…
“Who is that man?” he demands, pointing at himself in the mirror. My exhausted mind briefly forgets and I mistakenly reply, “You dad.” The firestorm is initiated; he calls me a, “liar”. Self recognition has failed him now; the flame of his mind is burning low; soon to extinguish.
He’s fed and dressed, but I’ve no time to eat; if he should sleep an hour today; I must cook for the week. It’s the only opportunity I have…when and if he sleeps. I must not go to the bathroom; he’ll break something or fall. I must hold myself until my sister arrives.
The “passives” are painful to watch, as they deteriorate, but the “sundowners” are constant exhaustion. I was in the ER, almost as much as, he. You see, there’s no one to care for the caregiver, but themselves and when they can’t, exhaustion and malnutrition escalate. Dementia-mind is round-the-clock work and two doing the work of six people, takes its’ toll. The disease never discriminates; it destroys everyone.
(My Father died with dementia, a form of Alzheimer's in 2003, after a 15 year battle.)
She had the disease only small-town women usually get
But she got it, and she was a New Yorker.
Born and raised on three blocks.
An anomaly.
Always wanting to help someone
Asking if we needed anything
Arranging the cakes for others weddings
Never having one of her own
Babysitting other’s children
Never confessing to one herself.
A friend to the friendless
A pillar on the block
The go-to-person who always went
Who always came
Who was the first one.
She died of
Good-neighbor-liness,
And we were all the recipients,
Taking more than we gave.
deathly ill, distant light, caring eyes
Caregiver
The surreal world I live in
Thrust there over night
It was a stroke that hit him
Since then just nothing’s right.
The frustration of it all.
The many hats I wear.
The tasks that never end.
The new roles that I bear.
All these hats I’m wearing
Some are very new
So many different directions
So many things to do.
I wake up in the morning
Wishing for the past,
Stick to his routines
And never move too fast.
There’s someone living in my house.
I know there’s someone here.
Why do I feel so all alone
Even when he’s near?
Some days he comes to visit
And talks of things we share,
‘tho conversation’s brief
And oft’ too short to bear.
I try to see it his way.
I try to help him out.
I know he faces struggles,
For him, no easy bout.
I’m with him in the morning
I’m with him in the night
I try to be there for him
I hope I get it right.
A different world he lives in
His own pace that he’s set.
I try to make him understand.
He sometimes tries, and yet…
Can I know the effort that it takes
To put together words to talk?
Can I feel his inner struggle
When he tries to walk?
I can only be there,
Let him know I’m here.
I can sit beside him
And try to ease his fear.
It’s a surreal world we both live in,
Just ‘one day at a time.’
With some days still a struggle
When all is not sublime.
It's not fair it's not right,
All year caring for others,
Full of life and laughter,
A laugh that was so contagious,
We all had to laugh with you,
She loved a LARGE mug of tea,
She said things as she saw them
A fighter not someone to give in,
Illness didnt win with you,
A front liner you where a carer,
When you became ill we new you would fight,
But into hospital you went,
You did fight for so long,
Seeming to turn a corner,
But covid beat you in the end,
Your a woman to be remembered,
She wouldnt want tears,
Celebrate her life laughter is what she would want,
Elaine the stars will shine brighter but it will be darker here.
You will be remembered by everyone your life touched xx
Do you ever think of getting into your RV and heading west and never looking back? I ask my friend.
Her life is a series of woes, and misbegottens, have-tos, and never-wases. Drama, at full tilt.
Every time I see her she has a flat tire, her mother is in the hospital, and someone in her family just died.
Yesterday her car broke down, and none of her free-loading relatives would bring her to work.
Which was okay as she had smallpox anyway.
This morning she showed me that she is missing her face, and her hair fell off.
High drama indeed for 7 a.m.
Do you ever think of getting into your RV and heading west? I ask her.
She smiled.
Every day, she said, and I would leave my phone here.