The ones bleating in their heads.
The prompts from the staff.
Some sit anesthetized by
the chattering drone of the television,
the leaden grip of medication.
The pacers stalk the hall
in a race
against inertia.
Some silently scream
behind the headlined scrims
of newspapers-
and we talk to them
in a dulcet
measured
slightly patronizing tone
and we can
hardly believe
that voice
is our own.
* This poem appeared in Poesy Magazine.
Want to review or comment on this poem?
Need a FREE Reader Membership?
Reviews of "A Voice On The Psychiatric Ward"
Reviewed by Amy Hawke
Reviewed on June 15, 2003
you captured-
some have lived it
well done
Reviewed by Amy Hawke
Reviewed on December 17, 2002
I caught the title of your poem from a list of Psychology Poets.
Quite honestly I said to myself, 'Another one of those.'
When I read it, this is where I am really thankful I was wrong in my thought.
You have captured this scene from my experience.
Thank-you so very much for this.
Slaves who fled their masters were classified as insane. This term came from Dr. Samuel Cartwright who was an apologist for slavery in the pre-Civil War era. This release of my Anoka Time file is a look at slavery in the modern context of Minnesota N
The Free Preview includes excerpts only. The full print edition is available from Barnes and Noble. Both the print and electronic editions are available from the publisher's Web site ("Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited").
The Narcis
some have lived it
well done
Quite honestly I said to myself, 'Another one of those.'
When I read it, this is where I am really thankful I was wrong in my thought.
You have captured this scene from my experience.
Thank-you so very much for this.
Cheers,
Lucy Edwards
totally with your words.
10+