Thursday, October 11, 2012

Nightingale


                                                                   The Illustrated London News, 1855

The war took its toll, when God sent she came
The lady with the lamp
With no desire for fame
Sought to perform with one aim

Faced with strong objections, she went ahead
Wounded in uniforms
Appalled at the conditions
The hospital beds were thronged

Diseases caused  more deaths, not at the front
Worked her team to their best
Even nights without a rest
For honor and Queen no less

Gay is hosting at the pub. She introduced to us the ENGLYN a Welsh verse form. It comprised a 4-lined stanza where the 6th syllable of the first line rhymes with the other three. The syllable counts are 10, 6, 7, 7
               
Written for Gay’s hosting for Forms for All  at d”Verse

13 comments:

  1. And an apt topic for me too. My mother was an RN and Florence was her personal hero. I remember hearing about her in my pre-school days but never in way as poetic, heart-felt and patriotic as this. Well written and powerful!

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  2. nice hank...really like the story you were able to weave through here...and she sounds like quite the woman...taking on quite the work as well...it speaks highly of her heart...

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  3. Pushed through no matter the storm
    Even if things weren't the norm
    Rhyming away as well
    That is surely swell
    Beat Brian too
    First at your zoo

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  4. Loved the plot in this poem ... well done :-)

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  5. You definitely captured the heart of Florence Nightingale in this poem, Hank!

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  6. A lovely tribute to Florence Nightingale.

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  7. I really enjoyed this Hank. A somber reflection on times of old (or not so old in some places, I suppose.)

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  8. Florence would be proud, Hank! Your first stanza, my favorite, is powerful, replete with meaning and tightly written. Well done.

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  9. Nicely played with the form Hank ~ Those nurses were heroes to the wounded soldiers and nation ~

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  10. A lovely rendition - flows with ease too.

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  11. A fit tribute to the profession of nursing and the excellent example of altruism in F.N...very well done.

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  12. I'd liked to go where the rainbow ends if I may...

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