THE BUDDHIST CARER

He's in the shower Real cause for celebration! As it's been a while. Sounds of joy, pleasure, While water pours down on him. Simple...

He loves a biscuit A digestive? Oh, yes please. But there's a dark side... Be safe while I'm out! Despite reassurances He's caught in the...

It doesn't take much A free doughnut, some jewellery As symbols of love. Recognising me As someone in need of love True acts of kindness....

Tired, exhausted Weary, fatigued, drained, done in. All of the above.

I'm worried, he says About leaving him alone And who's that? I ask. This little boy here Nine years old. But what's his name? There we...

Woken up at dawn Dog with sickness & diarrhoea Then a flooded floor. Tricky work meeting Flying visit from plumber Two loos in two days....

Sitting and waiting He said he'd come late morning Hey ho, sit and wait. Nothing else to do So just sitting and waiting For my brand new...

I can live with pain Most of the time, but aches Go so much deeper. Menopausal aches Aches from heaving and lifting Existential aches....

May the sun shine bright After the earlier storms. Peace, warmth and comfort. Like night follows day Things change, moment to moment....

Good evening, he says, To the woman who's not there. Hallucination? The mind playing tricks. D'ya want a glass of water? She gives no reply.

Contemplating here - A dose of reality. Turning towards death. A local dog walk Through sacred burial grounds Impermanence pure!...

Normal caring plus Visitor for the weekend Equals very tired! Doing an amazing job Or so I'm told, that's nice. Still very tired though....

You think you know slow... An hour to eat his porridge That's a different slow.

Some flirty banter with my cheeky hairdresser Spotlights something deep. What he's looking for Is a bit of "connection." He seems a bit...

An all-consuming exhaustion. A big ol' dose of chronic sorrow. Is it a surprise that I have no oomph at all? Break ... before I break.

I'd have so much time If it was just me, not us But what would I do? Eat cake, drink coffee Do puzzles, wander round shops Sounds great,...

Finished the retreat By breaking into a dance Embodied release! Uninhibited In our little Zoom boxes Free to move and sway. Collective...

Embodied release? Just starting to get a grip On what that might mean. Letting myself go Into the retreat's rhythm Connecting, being....

Withdraw to a place of peace and quiet, they say. That is a retreat. So if I stay at home is it really a retreat? Well, no other choice!...

Who am I to say what makes life valuable, what gives life meaning? Ageing, illness, death will be encountered by all. So why don't we...