The Day Room at Night:
A Haiku
By Susan Farese, MSN, RN,
Veteran (former MAJ) Army Nurse Corps
SJF Communications October, 2014
(Inspired by many late night chats with soldiers
…as a nurse on night shift)

Always on night shift
Out of bed to the day room
Anxiety plus.
So I challenged them
Put away that cigarette
And just chat with me.
Stories would abound
Sometimes, even tears would flow.
Cathartic rivers.
You wouldn’t believe
the magnitude, their missions
Poignant and heartfelt.
That was the 80’s
Before the world changed that day
On 9-11
Imagine, right now
Post-traumatic stress endured
And shared with no one.
So don’t be afraid
To reach out to a veteran
Pretend it’s night shift.