now my genius has gone

the brain in its
skull-like maze
now my genius has gone
it’s difficult to say
describe everything, list everything

lost everything
(want it back)
can’t remember why I’m here
memory caught in a trap
it stiffens

spaghetti maze
fingers thick
disturbed at all times
keep building roads at the end of a whip
people say they know me

I wonder at the puzzle
memory caught in a trap
now my genius is some worthless song
I use a lever a little
and it comes back.

Group
speak poem
12-16 March 2010

my message is to you

hope is your life
together we
hope
each looks after each
friendly nurses speak
look for
hope is swift exchange
my tablets my routine
hope for this
take pills like new ideas

swallow
hope
I listen to children’s advice
swallow’s wings
get on with life’s hour
accept
strokes hearts bowels propaganda
each other
what journey you’re facing
and what hope

do you get?
(would you like to join our discussion?)
everyone’s lonely in their own
true journey
hope is swift
can’t take it out
can’t shove it away
we’re all
in the end
swallow’s wings.

Group
Cherry Tree
2009

night pains

I feel tight

feel clempt closed

always thinking trying

nighttime terror couldn’t tell you

a bit of a trouble-ful night

pains

hospital comforts: the beds are alright

the nurses are alright

the specialist said, “I can operate but…”

furious winter is in our stars

all the time many a time

I m always trying to look up

a-wondering what

to think of life itself

a bit of a trouble-ful night

pains

they do damn good work

specialist saved my legs for me

he was practically dancing

hope is a lot of things

group

Cherry Tree

2007

parachute landing in jungle terrain

I’ve seen me whack
done me jumps
floating down Egypt Cyprus Malaya

that tattoo says in memory of Mitch
killed in Malay jungles
a tattoo that hurt me
I’ve killed and I’m not proud of it
(or they’d kill you
prisoner of war – whatcha gonna do?)

ever tried to pack a parachute?
bloody handfuls
like trying to get a bed into a pillowcase

they won’t let me out of here
told me straight I’m not for getting out
driven to die
very very very very
bored in the brain
so bored it’s ridiculous
bored to the ears

these wards are in lost time

landing in jungle terrain
we laugh
butterflies

what’ll we do after the war?
lost a lot of weight
don’t know if I’ll get a visitor
my wife died and I didn’t go to the funeral
I’d jump
to go as I want
even prisoners are allowed to
walk to the great door

parachute regiment I’d jump tomorrow
you worry til it cracks out
cracks out open and you’re floating

down
down
down

Albert Burrows
Cherry Tree
2007

football

stanley matthews georgie best nobby stiles sammy much roger byrnes busby babes in packs in a set players 10 or 20 cigarettes on the back their age height history wifeswaps then in germany in munich early morn the takeoff

I do as best I can I do the journey from here to there is no different to any other journey more’s the difficulty is keeping your friends cos you cant get out the wheelchair

known as the munich crash the ground frosted fog photos of them on the runway matt busby sandy busby the son (good at spending money) when they emerged the babes were near unbeatable on £15 a week put edwards on he could cream the lot dog them clobber them sort em out

you cant get out the wheelchair and start getting angry telling the fellow where you want to go well lets say it does make you feel you’re not getting anywhere it’s just a question of administration

stanley matthews turned up at 8 in the morning running barefoot feels free blackpool sands (soak your feet in cold water you’ll walk a million miles) georgie best kidded the goalie banged it a brilliant shot but he done himself in daily brandy-soaked

you feel limited in the weight of this you’re not designing the journey the other person is I was an apprentice pro blackpool fc loved every minute gave back every penny

the footballs were heavier then leather soaked in rain describe a great god the best he was a tippler of everything two or three wives he had so many women over the weekend hundreds seen him train in the park a dangerous man a danger

you’ve got to be determined to stay alive otherwise this world will see you off falling into chaos somebody needs to mop the world up nurse sort the ends out I’m sat in a chair thinking literature I cant express god's fire in the head

re-match: duncan edward he was only 19 in munich on the runway play was awhile ago you’ll hear them you’ll hear them a mile away no problem just a trick of the foot.

Allan Whittaker, Frank Wigley

Cherry Tree Hospital

2007

homemade scones

my daughter’s getting me somewhere
to live
it wasn’t easy
don’t fight allow it in
they’re looking after me all the time
is

a helpless helper
I see them everyday
feel I’m being looked after
my daughter will be down
one of the most important things
is

Angela Jenkins, Margaret Brown, Mary Murray
Cherry Tree
2009

wireless

a couple of operations

the prostrate region (nothing to look forward to)

nothing doing

nothing a lot of pain

look forward to talking to your wife

don’t watch the telly

don’t listen to the wireless

nothing I spose

dropping off to sleep

the fall of a sparrow

you do nothing you’re a nothing

absolute

your best plan is to go

(there he goes, off to the toilet

had a fall)

your outlook is nil

go to sleep don’t blame ya

married 65 years

keep your hand in pleasure

hold

real things

valuable qualities

but what can she do

she can’t look after me

is there anything? nothing?

annoys me this number of ill people

their chances are not good and mine are the same

and one of them shall not fall on the ground without

my wife catches my eye

Anonymous

Cherry Tree

2007

wireless

a couple of operations

the prostrate region (nothing to look forward to)

nothing doing

nothing a lot of pain

look forward to talking to your wife

don’t watch the telly

don’t listen to the wireless

nothing I spose

dropping off to sleep

the fall of a sparrow

you do nothing you’re a nothing

absolute

your best plan is to go

(there he goes, off to the toilet

had a fall)

your outlook is nil

go to sleep don’t blame ya

married 65 years

keep your hand in pleasure

hold

real things

valuable qualities

but what can she do

she can’t look after me

is there anything? nothing?

annoys me this number of ill people

their chances are not good and mine are the same

and one of them shall not fall on the ground without

my wife catches my eye

Anonymous

Cherry Tree

2007

GEORGE III

PUT THE CLOCKS BACK

it’s a timewarp here shortens the day wakeup wakeup alters everything breakfast-time doesn’t mean anything

SO THEYD WORK ASTRONOMICALLY

your jewelled stars are not allowed cut off from your possessions cant have any treasures only uniforms we are all tea-squeezers the refugee syndrome non-person things

PEOPLE SAID HE’D STOLEN TIME

things might not be worth much but it’s the story behind that gives value each of these people these subjects these things are things you can’t do without

GEORGE WENT MAD

I watch a lot of telly.

Ray West, Freida Brobart, Monica Smith

Cherry Tree 2009

grit

you first come in you’re sick and that slows you can’t be mithered grit me teeth and bear it grit me teeth and keep me head down

called up 1939 went to France Dunkirk had a bad time a bad time

driven to distraction by all the waste of time getting angry doesn’t help you got to somehow slip into a lower gear get through these long days

in a truck for cover

get up when the nurses start clattering early habit of a lifetime bed late after the noise of the medicine the nurses overworking I’m surprised how cheerful they keep

tried to get in the little boat trousers round my neck and the trousers floated away

if you’ve got a decent book get what exercise you can push this wheelchair up and down

people fighting to get on the boat

that’s one thing I never do – give in

and keep a smile on the faces of the nurses

you’ve got to make your pleasure – is there anything that pleases me? - yes everything - grit me teeth and grin

E Wooley
2008

stages of grief: 1950

it’s the same a broken heart and physical pain
he died in front of me (talking one minute)
the pain in their face
you feel it
want to do
something and you can’t
the doctors said no

went cold head to toes
and you can’t get warm
when you’ve had a lovely husband
you feel it more

helping people helps
fills a gap fills what’s gone
sorry I never meant
to

break

you can let yourself go
and then you fade
sitting on ice days
not sleeping he died (talking one minute)
fade or you fight it
its always there
1950 as though it was last week as though

you cry alone
there all the time
even when I’m washing
up

a broken heart and physical pain though
everything shut
I put a bolt on the door
said: ‘There is no
good’ and then I was praying
it pulls it pulls
come back at night

come or you just
let your
self
go.

Anonymous
Cherry Tree
2009

blanket

I don’t search for pain the grey coarse scientific term dark grey someone else’s pain tufts caught on barbed fences teasing out I wrap myself when I’m cold when it rains the intensity I don’t go searching for pain but as they say its part of life’s richness a fleece that wraps me chemical relief the easement these days the first thing is pills Id rather have a couple of whiskies and a blanket

warmth is part of the healing the most important part the first thing I do is give a hug and a kiss its comfort it has the right texture right feel a woollen blanket in marvellous bed can’t be improved upon I don’t search for pain a cup of tea and a dance what is better than that (a ginormous umbrella) a laugh so don’t worry I never do that’s the vocation

E Wooley and “Wilf”

2007

This poem is part of the Patience project, for more information please visit http://patience-project.blogspot.com/

happiness is a cheeky so-and-so

happiness waking up in the morning
happiness happiness
find happiness in grandkids gladness
they keep you young and one on the way singing

happiness crowds queues laughing
happiness happiness
in your chest happiness overalls
I’ll assist you wrap it all in healing bringing

happiness the glugging sound of
happiness happiness
would you like a cup of
happiness? – the dog just smiled at me

(are we going up the dancers?)

May, Audrey, Edna, Marion
Cherry Tree
2009

This poem is part of the Patience project, for more information please visit http://patience-project.blogspot.com/

look around

look around and
see the dust
the atmosphere
its
there


anon
2009

Made in collaboration with arthur+martha guest artist Anneke Kuipers.

shut in now

shut in now
to feel free
just want to jump
in


anon
2009

Made in collaboration with arthur+martha guest artist Anneke Kuipers.

more freedom

you have to
hope for a
quick recovery
so you can go home
more freedom when you are
away hospitals are very good
but they have to have a
limit for what patient can do
hospitals are
very good
they do their best


anon
recycled postcard, pen, glue
2009

Made in collaboration with arthur+martha guest artist Anneke Kuipers.

look round

look round and
see the dust
the atmosphere -
its
there

anon 2009
Cherry Tree Hospital

don't join the navy

tennis player
Allen
don't join the navy
its too rough




children's sock, luggage tag, pencil
(part of the 'pictures emphasising stillness' collection http://www.arthur-and-martha.co.uk/pages/objects.htm)
Allen Whitaker
2007

arthritis

my arthritis
I get my realistic details
at all times



Ron Miles (Curzon)
1st July 2009

Thomas

'couldn't call anyone brave
or not brave'

Thomas Weston
1st July 2009