For Sister
I search for their eyes
Hungry for hope
But they look away
Through a web of tubes I search
But they look away
They look at the monitors
That litter my room
They look at the needles
That litter my arms
Litter my neck
They look at the multi-coloured bags
That tower over my bed
They look at my wounds
That will not heal
But they will not look in my eyes
The doctors
The nurses
They all look away
But not you Sister
Never you
Your eyes are always there
Waiting
Through my blanket of drugs
Through my blanket of pain
Your eyes wait for mine
By Anton FitzSimons
More about Anton
Anton FitzSimons, 47, recently spent over sixteen months in hospital as a result of blood cancer. 'For Sister' is his first poem, written for the Sister in charge of the High Dependency Unit where he was in isolation for five months. In the mid 80's Anton won two Scottish Business Education Council awards, graduating with a BA in Commerce. In the early 90's he taught English in Warsaw. Anton currently splits his day between writing and the gym where he works on regaining his strength and mobility.