Courage Poem by Margaret O Driscoll

'I brought some flowers'
I said to the nurse at the desk
She told me to take them home
saying they weren't usually left
I said I'd like them in the room
left up high out of the way
I said it was important
to have flowers during the stay

The next day on my visit
I spotted my bunch of flowers
They'd been placed in an old carton
The flower heads were drooping down
The hospital, like the carton,
was unsuitable, drab and old
The patients seemed like wilting flowers
They were sedated, sad and bored

I wrote a letter of complaint
saying conditions there were cramped
The atmosphere there was despondent
Personal things got lost
There was little stimulation
No calm place to relax
Little chance to go outside
The grounds were even stark

Always try to find the courage
to speak up if there's a need
Stand up for what is right
Force authorities to take heed
We all have power to change things
To demand what is right
Keep in mind the wilting flowers
Don't give up the fight