And A Belated Happy Twelfth Night To You

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"I would I had bestowed that time in the tongues that I have in fencing, dancing and bear-baiting. O! had I but followed the arts!"
William Shakespeare--Twelfth Night, 1. 3


I missed Twelfth Night this year, being instead held hostage in Neurodramaville. No King's cakes or mischief making for us. We pretty much got our asses heartily kicked as did the rest of the hospital. Patients' families always seem so surprised to learn that there are no hospital beds to place their loved ones into. Certainly not the impression given on House or ER or Grey's Anatomy where patient's guerneys go flying willy-nilly to a quiet empty room and crisply starched white sheets. The truth is that the bed is still slightly damp from the disinfectant spray used after the last patient and the nurse may be still putting clean sheets on the bed while the newest invalid is rolling through the doorway. As my mother delights in telling me, "There's no rest for the wicked or the weary."

Any cake I eat better have a little stash of Advil in it to get me through the rest of the day.

please note: art by William Holbrook Beard

Comments

  1. debraJanuary 7, 2009 at 10:13 AM

    I love that graphic! And my mother used to use the same quote, often telling me that I qualified on both counts.

    ReplyDelete
  2. RudeeJanuary 7, 2009 at 10:57 AM

    I'm certain the place is filled with people who delayed treatment for the holidays-and allowed a situation to get out of control.Perhaps the saying should indicate it's the wicked who bring this down upon the poor nurses. Well, you'll just have to celebrate 13th night. Have two pieces of cake.

    ReplyDelete
  3. LydiaJanuary 7, 2009 at 1:51 PM

    Stupendous post; love your writing. Love the picture, too. Did you read my post Dancing Bear back in December?
    http://writerquake.blogspot.com/search?q=dancing+bear

    Hope you rest well tonight.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJanuary 7, 2009 at 5:21 PM

    YES!! Two pieces of cake it shall be then. One for wicked, one for weary.
    Lydia, I don't know how I missed that post, but loved it. You truly have a poet's soul...you see the bear and see a haunting quality/I see the bear and think he's on a cigarette break. I'm just not right:>)

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousJanuary 10, 2009 at 5:49 PM

    I've watched Grey's Anatomy in the past and I know the beds aren't filled with patients but doctors SHAGGING interns. : 0

    ReplyDelete
  6. UnknownJanuary 12, 2009 at 2:50 PM

    Damn, our shameful secret is out:>)

    ReplyDelete

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Hey, thanks for your thoughts and your time:>)

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