ICU
18 February 2022

Bellbirds I hear,
on quiet tranquil mornings,
recalling machines,
with life and death warnings.

After that …which is not,
comes slow waking, fear,
comes paranoia,
comes ‘don’t leave me here’.

Comes retro cars flying,
ice but no food,
conjoined baby twins,
wicked deals are pursued.

Comes flying with geese,
an Antarctic plane,
trading my hurt for her life,
all feels quite sane.

Burning towers there are,
fitting right in,
m y father reassuring,
but that could be for him?

Nurses all through,
this is their world not mine,
I was admitted by accident,
not by design.

Alerts of incoming,
people rush and prepare,
for the horrors expected,
to be brought in by air.

Emotions intense
this is front line,
fighting a war,
nothing less than divine.

...Tears in a stairwell
much later on,
recalling experience,
a little too strong.

‘Are you ok’,
a voice asks of me,
then understanding the moment,
just lets me be.

…and I am grateful.