The Day Room at Night:

A Haiku

By Susan J. Farese, MSN, RN,

Veteran (former MAJ) Army Nurse Corps

SJF Communications  October, 2014 

Published by O-Dark Thirty 2015

(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.