Board ‘Bored’
Meeting
Dedicated to a
Finance Meeting of
(when I was a Patient Rep!
What a waste of time)
I attended a ‘Meeting’- REAL Money was there!
Statistics, Suits, Speeches- what was MISSING was Care!
An Investment in ‘Sanity’ –AND ‘Financial Return’
Can result in High Interest- you get, but don’t earn!
If a ‘User’ is sectioned, find cuts in proportion!
So, take a collection!- I call it extortion!
Five hundred a day- to play with an Acute?
(THAT’S as much as HIP joint, said the man in the Suit!)
The governors of PROGRESS will decide on the rate-
And- instead of the Secretary, we’ll be in a State!
For Local decisions, read; ‘New Business Plan’
(FREE from Central Control, for confining a Man!)
Talk of ‘Training’ and ‘Projects’ from those on the make?
Just a NEW way of taking a slice of the cake!
New Employment! New Courses! New short-term solutions!
(We NEVER made money from the OLD institutions!)
Volunteering's the answer- and MORE Medication!
FREE thinking? No Payment?- they NEED Medication!
FREE thinking? No Payment?- they NEED Motivation!
It’s the same tired
old package of
And we’re told this is Happening- from Broadmoor to Ealing!
I see NO advantage, it’s just speculation
When the West London MENTAL Trust talks of ‘Foundation!’
How low will this go? High is NOT Ministerial!
And the Fate of the ‘Users’?- that’s only Material!
Contractors, Investors- are THEY to be pitied?
For the Truth is: Committees should ALL be committed!
And Commercial Investors- with their own new Agendas-
Can Afford to be tough, when submitting their Tenders!
It’s Capital stuff!- it’s bleed them or bust;
They’re lying- AND buying- who is there to Trust?
The real Boss is Profit- the rules are the same!
‘Pay Everyone Nothing!’- that’s the name of the Game
So- Goodbye to Reality, Say Hello to distress!
We’re ALL rats- and we’re sinking- on the good ship ‘NHS’!
©Anna Gabell
THE BRICK
(Or- Architecturally Speaking)
It must be Nice to be a Brick-
It doesn’t matter if you’re thick!
It must be restful- and I bet-
You’re just ALL mixed up- and left- to set!
You have no Mind- no point of view-
So others decide what you should do!
(You have no senses- you can’t see-
Someone else decides where you should be!)
No windows now!- You mustn’t break!
(You were made to last- make NO mistake!)
You’re cemented in, so you can’t fall-
You’re just another ‘Brick in the Wall!’
There’s strength in numbers- and restraint
But- you all conform, so there’s no complaint!
If I were YOU, there’d be room for doubt-
I’d wonder what I was keeping OUT?!!
A brick with Ambition- and a Heart!
(A fence can be sat on- for a start!!)
So- you soldier on and I’ll keep grumbling-
For even a Brick can end up – crumbling!
©Anna Gabell
I find it difficult to start -
I feel MY World's been torn apart!
My brain is ripping at the seams -
My LIFE is in the hands of 'Teams'.
I can't achieve the smallest goal,
Because I'm left with No Control.
(But it would be considered cheating,
If I declined the Morning Meeting!)
The N.H.Mental re-imburses
ALL the Carers,ALL the Nurses;
I have a 'Quack'- I have a 'Shrink'
A whole DAY Team to help me think!;
I rate a 'Care Co-Ordinator' -
I don't know if that's NOW - or LATER?
A Social Worker,C.R.T;
It's priceless - what they've offered me!
I Tried to Die,to stop my breath -
But NOW,I'm REALLY scared - TO Death!
(The Dinner Ladies and the Cleaners,
Can even check for misdemeanors!)
They're getting NOWHERE with their talk -
(I CANNOT even take a WALK!)
A Sense of DOOM is filling me -
I'm being 'Helped'-it's KILLING ME!
On my release,I was ALONE!
Team Work? I'm better on my OWN!
END Copyright Anna Gabell @ 21stJuly2007
FIRE!FIRE! by Anna Gabell
When waking to Inferno
You put it out - or LEARN to;No TIME for hesitation
When trapped in conflagration!
You try ignoring smoke'
But worry that you'll choke,
While inhaling all the fumes
That are spreading through the rooms.
The ALARM is not affected -
But the PHONE is disconnected!
So,NO Fire Brigade about;
YOU have to put it OUT!
No Windows open!Right?
Or EVERYTHING will ignite!
The First to face the flames -
You have no TIME for Games;
Hysterics can,t be THERE
'Cause Screaming uses AIR!
You cope - on automatic;
ONE fact becomes emphatic!
It's a point of No Return -
Extinguish it - or BURN!
Fight it with what you know!
DROWN it in H2O!
THEN,burn with great resentment,
Fire destroyed your whole contentment!
And though it's not Goodbye Time,
It's been a 'LIVE or DIE' time'!
Your Innocence is TRUE -
But it WILL be blamed on YOU!
(Accidents DO occur,
But,guess what THEY infer?)
"You smoked a cigarette?"
"The side-light was upset?"
SO,you don't exist?You Vanish! -
"Has Our Property been damaged?"
"Have you been to see your 'Shrink'? -
It's enough to make you think
That what vYOU think's really TRUE -
They're disinterested in YOU!
Covered from head to foot
In smoke,burnt clothes -AND soot,
You feel a little sickly.
Atleast YOU acted quickly!
Why are they all conspiring?
It's down to Faulty Wiring!
The Electrician's sent
(Right AFTER the event!)
You find you're NOT a Mug -
He replaces the burnt plug!
No curtains at the window,
Clothes - AND bedclothes - all in Cinder;
(When I lay down my head,
It's on a SOFA,NOT a bed!)
It's WEEKS since this occurred;
I've called AND I've conferred!
Despite all my persistence
There's STILL been no assistance!
It's a lesson to be learnt;
PERHAPS I SHOULD HAVE BURNT!
END copyright anna gabell @ july 2007
MY NEW AMBITION (a poem from 2005 re-written)by ANNA GABELL
I really want to be a NURSE
Who CARES - and GLARES - and makes things WORSE!
I want to hear the Patients MOAN
When I tell them they CAN'T use the Phone:
I'LL tell them when they're Wrong OR Right-
I'LL decide if they can have a light!
They've GOT a Choice - it's SLEEP or TV,
As LONG as they don't bother ME!
I know my Job involves SOME talk -
I'll tell them they CAN'T take a walk!
(Or,failing that,a Nurse has Power-
To LIMIT it - to half an hour!)
But,if they shout,what can they DO?
(Guess who the DOCTORS listen to?)
A Nurse KNOWS what the Patients Fear -
They know they'll be RETURNING here!
SOMETIMES,when calling Home,or Bored,
A Patient ESCAPES my Mental Ward!
(If they can't go to the Canteen,
It's not MY problem if they're lean!)
I'M here to give them Medication! -
(AND to improve my Education!)
I have to take ALL that on board!
Have YOU been on a Mental Ward?
So I'll DO my job,for that's the Deal -
And I CARE how my Patients feel!
(But,if they make a REAL objection,
I'll SMILE - and put them on a SECTION!)
For I'm a Nurse who aims to please!
(I feel IMPORTANT with my keys!)
I go to meetings,walk about -
And WAIT - until they ALL go OUT!
The HOURS are good,the PAY'S not Bad;
It's just....the PATIENTS drive me MAD!!