With federal marshals guarding her from angry mobs in 1960,
first-grader Ruby Bridges integrated William Frantz Public School in New
Orleans, Louisiana, my hometown. In protest during the first year, all parents withdrew
their children from the school.
Dying is universal. A hospice volunteer, I come together
with my patients as strangers and often discover, even in our differences, that
we share similarities that bond us to higher levels of understanding of one another
and ourselves. Shared similarities can include race, language, talents,
occupations, travel, values, joys and even common pain.
My book Becoming Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing
Homes concludes
each chapter with an original poem. I was moved to write the poem Deeper Than Words
while watching my hospice patient sleep. I thought about our shared African
American history that bridged our communication beyond her dementia. This poem
is dedicated to Miss Loretta, Ruby Bridges and our awe-inspiring ancestors.
Deeper Than Words
The outside world arrives
wearing my willing face.
Toothless, your smile widens
like a baby’s hungry for attention.
Almost ninety-eight years old,
your inner candle still glows.
A hospice volunteer, I lean closer,
talk into your listening left ear,
“Today is Sunday, Miss Loretta.”
My news drifts away like smoke.
You stare at me through dying coals.
Whatever I ask, you whisper, “Yes.”
I stroke your age-softened arms
while your hazed mind masters sleep.
Watching you, I dream generations
of women black and strong, each one
a book of sustaining stories
about joy, pain, courage, survival.
Within your warm brown frame,
spirits from our common history linger.
Aides say you have dementia,
that you don’t know a word I say.
Our language goes deeper than words.
We speak to each other’s souls.
© Frances Shani Parker
Frances Shani Parker, Author
Becoming
Dead Right: A Hospice Volunteer in Urban Nursing Homes is available
in paperback and e-book editions in America and other countries at online and
offline booksellers.
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog
Hospice and Nursing Homes Blog
So truthful......
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