Jane O Wayne: Intensive Care

Intensive Care

Even the smallest tide
in the silver sea of a thermometer
can turn a ship around.

On that bleak shore,
every ebb and flow was charted.
What else was there to go on? Breathing

and nothing else but breathing—
no more than what an ear can conjure
out of an empty conch.

In such a storm, we might have been villagers
waiting for a lost ship.
We could never rest.

Which is worse then—waves beating
on an empty beach or the throbs of that device
working for your heart?

For months, it went on: no let up,
no north star in that blank sky—
only nods, grimaces,

your open eyes taunting us, like some word
on the tip of the tongue
one agonizes to recall but can’t.

Day after day, on the same narrow coast,
we stood guard, waiting
for some speck to reappear, for the wind

to give a different verdict.
To get through the nights,
we let the flat horizon hypnotize us.

Discussion Questions

  • How did you react to Wayne’s poem? What did it stir up in you?

  • Wayne uses a metaphor of a ship lost at sea. What does the metaphor capture that an objective, medical description of the ICU would miss?

  • How do you interpret the title of the poem, Intensive Care?

Reflections from #MedHumChat

“As a caregiver, it made me reflect on how fixated on specific vital signs family members of critically ill patients can become. So important to stress that patient care is about the whole picture, not just one piece.” —@AMedTypePerson

“‘your open eyes taunting us’ — this line resonated with me. The strangeness of seeing a body whose mind is not functioning — and worse, the body of a loved one. Inner life feels so boundless. Seems odd that it should be confined to the body.” —@ESilvermanMD

“I love the double meaning. This patient is in the ICU, yes, but the poem reflects the intensity with which the family and medical team care for this patient. Intensive hope.” —@Pallidad

“It also makes me think of how caring for a critically ill person separates the caregiver / loved ones from the rest of the world. Sometimes simple description isn't enough to convey the kind of profound loneliness that comes with that.” —@DianaCejasMD

“For me it's the vastness and incomprehensible sense of scale expressed by the sea. It allows for acceptance that the forces of nature are bigger than us.” —@kwokytalk

About this #MedHumChat

“Intensive Care” was paired with “Practicing Medicine Can Be Grimm Work,” an essay by Dr. Valerie Gribben for a #MedHumChat discussion January 2nd, 2019 exploring the question: Can fairy tales and poetry help us heal?

The pieces for this chat, along with the discussion questions, were selected by Colleen Farrell.

About the Author

Jane O. Wayne is a poet and author whose work often centers around memories and loss. You can learn more about her here.

PoetryColleen FarrellCaregiver experience, Critical care