A Shell Of The Man Poem by Francis Duggan

A shell of the man that he once used to be
His wife is his full time carer and without her he
Would be in a home for those who need ongoing care
His health it would seem it is beyond repair.

Three years ago in his early twenties a marvellous athlete
An Olympic hopeful sprinter a hard one to beat
But one evening when driving his car home from training he was out of luck
When he was in a head on collision with a drunken driver who was driving a truck.

The truck driver he failed for to keep a straight line
Leaving the car driving athlete with a badly injured spine
He had run his last race had his last victory
The powerful young sprinter had just turned twenty three

For months he lived in a cocoon of despair
But he has grown to accept life in a wheelchair
A drunken truck driver stole from him his Olympic dream
And left him as a dependant with shattered self esteem.