Sitting in sh*t

Sitting in Sh*t

Yesterday when I went in to see my mom at the nursing home she told me she had to have a bowel movement.  I rang the buzzer and two Personal Support Workers came but they told me that she now had to use the bed pan and that they checked her after lunch when they put her to bed….  If she had messed herself they would clean her up.

I had noticed a very strong odour as I passed through the halls.  I hadn't noticed it as bad when I had been there before Covid, but I know that the health of many of the residents had gone down hill during this time when they have not been able to socialize.

This morning I also thought of a time when my mother-in-law was in a nursing home and she had messed herself and the nurse apologized to her and me and said she was sorry but she had to take her break right then or she wouldn't get it.  She said maybe someone else would be able to help her, but no one did and she sat in her shit for half an hour.  I felt absolutely helpless.  She was wheelchair bound as is my mom.

I wrote this poem for both of them and many others in this situation.

We're Sorry Old Lady

We’re sorry old lady
Just sit in your shit
We promise that we will
Be back in a bit.
But there are so many
And we are so few
We try but there’s only
So much we can do
So we’re sorry old lady
Just sit in your shit
We promise that we will be
Back in a bit
With people to toilet
And people to feed
We try to take care
Of everyone’s needs
But there are so many
And we are so few
There’s only so much
Work we can do
So we’re sorry old lady
To leave you alone
We’ll be back we promise
Oh..there goes the phone
Another emergency
Another quick call
We’ll be back don’t worry
Sit still don’t fall
“I can’t ring the buzzer
It’s too far away
I’ve forgotten how to use it
So here I will stay.”
We’re sorry old lady
Just sit in your shit
We promise that we will
Be back in a bit.

2 thoughts on “Sitting in sh*t”

  1. You know, Young Lady, I’ve wished and wished to be able to write poems that rhymed,
    and if you should wonder why, it’s because if you can rhyme, then you can write lyrics for songs! AND, this new one of yours is in excellent time, and for those, who truly need others for their voices, unanswered, to land on and hopefully, the ears of those care-givers, who have become deaf to their patients and the whole reason (hopefully) who had been called to this line of work! Thank you so much for this poem! Your Friend, Richard

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