Helpers

by Gary Beck / April 27th, 2025

I lie on confine bed
and ring for the nurse
who does not answer.
I am cold, shivering,
wet from my waste,
feeling awful.
I wait and wait
but no one comes.
This has happened before
in a place of lost hope
and I must accept
whatever happens,
for no one will help me
in my time of decline.

Gary Beck has spent most of his adult life as a theater director and worked as an art dealer when he couldn't earn a living in the theater. He has also been a tennis pro, a ditch digger and a salvage diver. His original plays and translations of Moliere, Aristophanes and Sophocles have been produced Off Broadway. His poetry, fiction and essays have appeared in hundreds of literary magazines and his published books include 40 poetry collections, 16 novels, 4 short story collections, 2 collection of essays and 8 books of plays. Gary lives in New York City. Read other articles by Gary.

This article was posted on Sunday, April 27th, 2025 at 8:00am and is filed under Poetry.