Lighthouse Hospice Celebrates Its SUPPORT STAFF

Today, Lighthouse Hospice celebrates our Support Staff with a half day Retreat and Lunch.  Without the gentle guidance and nurturing way of these folks our patients/families and our patient care staff would be absent the cohesive web of caring.  Thank you SUPPORT STAFF!

Our poem for them:

Lay the Words Out
(for the Support Staff of Lighthouse Hospice 2014)

The day hangs
on the tone
of your voice,
on the way you
lay the words out
for them to amble
gently across 
into this new sunrise.

This path pulls
at the corners
of their mouth -
a smile joins
the lineaments
of their despair to rest.

The wind dies down
and leaves a calm
across the surface
of the lake.

Unbridled relief 
comes from the milk 
of human kindness.

Gentleness attends
the simple flow
of rainwater along the way.

Rivulets course attentive
to escape.  

Whereto find a small
break in the icy
banks of snow?

Looking for one chance
toward freedom.
To leave the confines
of myopic
isolation and join
the mighty river.

How they wish
to be away from
this their countless
hours of singular journey
and closure
with no words.

What hand will throw
them the rope
of steady return
to the constant
chatter of human shoulders
rubbing at their side -
drawing them to the
endless distraction of the
mundane
and plain old,plain old.
This loneliness
of the mountain pass
can only be replaced
by wonder when
we feel safe on our
little piece of earth
–the one upon which
we stand.

Perched and nestled
in a place of comforting
ease, we can turn
our eyes to the
mighty torrents and
know the song
"that all shall be well"
as more than just
a lilting and lifeless
refrain, but the true
hymn of the Cosmos.

The day hangs
on the tone
of your voice,
on the way you
lay the words out
for them to amble
gently across 
into this new sunrise.

This path pulls 
at the corners
of their mouth -
a smile joins
the lineaments 
of their despair to rest.

The wind dies down 
and leaves a calm 
across the surface 
of the lake.

Unbridled relief 
comes from the milk 
of human kindness.

Gentleness attends
the simple flow 
of rainwater along the way.

Rivulets course attentive
to escape.  

Whereto find a small
break in the icy 
banks of snow?

Looking for one chance
toward freedom. 
To leave the confines 
of myopic
isolation and join
the mighty river.