Labor In The Workplace Poem by Melissa L Tamayo

The smell excruciating to my nose each time I enter the doors.
The gloomy sight tranquilizes my thoughts,
When I walk down the halls.
The sharp sound of the alarms pierces my drums.
Entering into a room where I assume to know whose.
Full of questions when I see someone new.
Supplies are never at an easy access,
Substituting wipes are a mess.
Back aches from the heavy lifting and twisting,
Oh that's just the beginning.

I call for help, sure enough no one is near me.
Making it difficult to meet the patient needs.
Another call off, only three in the work place.
Changing routines, maintaining a fast pace.
The beeping sound is heard throughout the night.
A call for a refill on water and ice.
The dark reddish yellow liquid fills the urinals,
Emptying them into toilet bowls.

A scream down the hall,
I take a look and there's poop on the wall.
Sadly that's better than a fall.
Lifeless bodies lay in bed,
Unaware of my presences as I lower their heads and legs.
Incontinence seeps through the sheets,
Making the task harder to complete.

Twelve hour load,
Compacted in eight hours work.
By the end of the shift, my feet want to burst.
So here’s to Labor Day,
As we work to pay, pay, pay! !