Join the stride, with the Tribe!
Ms Sree Priya S.
Thiruvananthapuram
About this, be forever sure,
Palliative care, is always pure!
Inside their hands, we are secure,
For they manage, not our pain mere.
We are assured of profound care,
That is truly, so much rare!
The multi-disciplinary team is prepared-
To make sure the “paths” are well paved.
Communities here are compassionate,
And come together, for lives desperate!
They heal the needy, of situations desolate,
Making the days left, resonate with relief!!
Let us join the stride, with the tribe,
To alleviate the pains of those, at side!
Come, now envisage a future,
Where pain-free lives Nurture!!
Ms Sree Priya S is the Coordinator, Virtual Education, at Pallium India.
Soldier in fight against cancer!
Dr. Suboohi Jafar “Aatika”
Moradabad
I feel like walking into a war zone,
Wearing a white coat, and my stethoscope on,
Then I hear cries of pain, those moans and groans,
And there, I witness a non-healing, oozing wound!
I can feel your disgust about that putrid sore,
That’s there on your foot, not ready to cure,
You are annoyed of that pungent smell of disinfectant,
Which I pour daily on your wound, to make it look clean and perfect!
When you look at me, with your sunken eyes,
I feel more shattered, aggrieved and helpless at that time,
But I always listen to your whispers with full attention,
Though I may not be able to cure your affliction!
I always try to tell you about all the positive probabilities,
And make myself sound as full of realistic hopes and possibilities,
But deep inside, both of us know the final outcome,
That, this time, you won’t be able to go back home!
But the white coat that I am wearing,
Gives me the courage to assure you of well being,
I am really here, with you, and by you, in this battle field,
With the trust on God, that we will make it till the end!
Dr Suboohi Jafar “Aatika”, is a soldier in fight against cancer. She is an artist and singer by heart, an oncologist by profession, and is currently a Consultant, Radiation oncology, at Crest Galaxy Cancer Institute, Moradabad. Though aware about the principles of palliative care, the nature of her work has gotten her interested to pursue a formal education in palliative care.
Deadly Diagnosis
Dr. Sushma M. N.
Bengaluru
Night after night falls,
I stare at the blank walls.
The mind is hit by thoughts, like a pebble,
That creates waves in a calm puddle.
Life has taken multiple turns,
Some beautiful ones and few painful burns.
Needs, wants and things desired,
With wishes and prayers that went unheard.
Heart stabbed which feels wrecked,
With faces laughed, pitied and smirked.
The body and mind are numb and tired,
The lifeless soul inside feels weird.
Angry, hopeless and dead inside,
Yet, a compelled smile for the world outside.
The aims yet to be achieved,
Goals yet to be accomplished.
Only for the sake of what I owe,
I shall live through the life’s flow.
Dr Sushma M N is a Medical Manager – Palliative Care Program at the Swami Vivekanada Youth Movement at Bengaluru.
Morning Rounds
Dr. Tilopa Chakraborty
New Delhi
There are few things worse, than dying, child—
Dying in pain being one.
Every breath you take is a tired sigh
Making silent prayers for the beginning of the end.
Slow burn, bed rest, chronic pain—
In vain, you beg me to pull the plug,
As you lug, bravely, the weight of your own body.
You look at me beseechingly, standing by your bedside
As if I decide your future,
As though your fate lies enclosed, neatly,
In the morning notes that I write on the greasy hospital papers.
But I am no God, I never was, so all I do
Is sit by you, and give you some strength
For the rest of your journey.
Make no mistake, child, death is no vacation,
It’s the final destination, and it’s lonely.
But beauty, it exists outside your bed,
Outside the prospect of death, for,
Everybody dies, child, and no one knows what happens next.
And one day, we don’t know when,
It’ll all quiet down,
The noise around you, the noise in your head,
You’ll know it’s only a moment
Of silence before the storm.
The next morning, I’ll come for my morning rounds
And find you on the brink of a peaceful death.
I’ll shed a quiet tear when no one’s looking,
For after you go, as haunting as it is
I will never know where you go or what happens next.
Dr Tilopa Chakraborty is a first year resident of Community Medicine at The Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi, with an interest in palliative care.
Embracing Death
Dr. Uma Bhardwaj
Bhubaneshwar
I sit beside her rumpled bed,
Listening intently to her myriad stories
Of hope and despair, ecstasy and pain, life and death.
All culminating in the unknown fear of the morrow.
She wanders lonely as a cloud,
In the looming horizon of frightening uncertainties.
I listen to her silently, feeling her pulsating pain,
Wondering furtively if at all there is life after death.
When I pray for her, it is my hand she yearns to hold and squeeze,
As a frantic reaffirmation of her love for life.
I write poems for her and for me, reciting them in triumphal exultation,
To bring succor to her broken faith and my sagging spirit!
She finds in them a cathartic solace,
And soon indulges in penning a few, as if a requiem for her sorrowful soul!
Days go by in her poetic journey of self realization,
As she discovers a numinous peace with her foreboding gone.
Arising from the sullen earth she sings the hymns at the heaven’s gate,
Learning to live more deeply by embracing death.
Ms Uma Bharadwaj is a volunteer with the home care team at the Amrit Dhara Palliative Care Trust.
Final journey
Dr. V J Dheepthi Shree
Chennai
Hopes, dreams and ambitions,
Losing it all layer by layer,
Walking through the edge of uncertainty,
With silent tears and unseen aches,
She is getting ready.
IV lines and nasal cannulas become the new way of life,
Hair or no hair like she even has a choice,
Forgotten routines, walks and sunsets,
Burning all her desires,
She is getting ready.
Making her comfortable cotton bed,
Reading her favourite storybook,
With her grandchildren playing around her,
Her daughter feeding her every meal,
She is getting ready.
Midst of treating her exacerbations,
Living that small life a bit,
Leaving no time to feel sorry,
Making every minute count,
Because she is getting ready.
It may be worsening physically,
But her intangible mental faith to hold on,
Making everyone around her go awe,
Teaching her kin how to live without regrets,
She is getting ready.
She is bold, courageous and strong,
No clue how long she can hold on,
No idea how long the universe will bestow her with blessings,
With zero expectations she wakes up every morning with a smile,
Even though she is getting ready.
A few days cannot be tougher,
While a few days cannot be more merrier,
Taking her to every place she ever wanted to be,
Making all her memories count,
As she is getting ready.
Time flies faster than we imagine,
Only to remained her its time,
It’s time for her final journey,
And she is already primed,
Wearing her beautiful smile and waving goodbye.
Dr V J Dheepthi Shree is an MBBS graduate who is preparing for her further studies. She has a keen interest in palliative care as she is a primary care taker to someone with palliative care needs.
Grief!
Ms Vandana Mahajan
New Delhi
A sense of loss….
Of what was …
Or what could have been…
Grief is what you desire…
A strong emotion you feel
Grief is what shatters your soul
So many pieces of you scattered
that you struggle to hold…!!
Grief is feeling empty some days..
And on others (days) feeling full ….
Full of tears….
Full of fears….
Full of memories of those who were once so near….
Grief is love….
Love that makes you smile…
Love that reminds you of the loss
Love which is like a constant ache…
An emptiness created by pain
A feeling difficult to shake…
It’s Love that caresses your soul….
the love that squeezes the heart a bit more…..
Love that reminds us of memories and moments
Love that was…..and will always be..
It’s love that you alone can feel
Love that creates a void – a vacant space….
Grief is nothing but love
That your heart struggles to give…
……the love which is unspent..
A smile on your lips,
a twinkle in your eye,
a lump in your throat,
a tear in the eye,
an emptiness in your soul..
Grief then is the love which helps you pick up the shattered pieces …..
It’s the love, around the void, which makes you whole!
Ms Vandana Mahajan is a trained palliative care counsellor, with over 10 years of experience in working with cancer patients.
Conqueror
Dr. Vedavati Bandyopadhyay
Nagpur
Just hold out your loving hand—
Before my eyes become clouded
Before your face becomes blurred
Before my mind gets shrouded!
Let not my frail body fool you—
My brain is still sharp as ever,
The time bomb within me is ticking
So, my friend I want a big favour…
Give me the dignity in death
Even if my mood hits the trough,
You are the keeper of my comfort
So my dear, I want you to be tough!
Remember me as I was—
The Firebrand, the Lover, the Rebel,
The outspoken, fun-loving friend
Not the one who cares for drivel.
Remember my days of strength—
I don’t want the pity in your eyes.
My body may writhe in pain,
The morphine syringe might be in vain
The cancer might have me in a jam
Yet treat me like the conqueror I am!
Dr Vedavati Bandyopadhyay is a Junior Resident (Academic) at the Department of Community Medicine, AIIMS, Nagpur. Dr Vedavati developed an interest in palliative care during her undergraduate training at Christian Medical College, Vellore, where the Department of Palliative Care had sensitized her towards the concept of quality of life and the importance of dignity in death.
A nice collection of emotions thoughts feelings and duty. All look good but some touch you
What is expressed is from the fathom of the heart.