An emotional new poem for World Parkinson’s Day

We asked Mike Bell, a poet with Parkinson’s, to write a special poem to help raise awareness about the role of carers on World Parkinson’s Day

Mike Bell is the designer-turned-poet who, following his Parkinson’s diagnosis, pledged to write a poem each day for a year. For World Parkinson’s Day, we asked him to write a touching tribute to the – often overlooked – carers of people with the condition.

Close to Parkinson’s: Hurting

Our closest have lives
To live and enjoy,
Delayed redundancy
In our sick bed-employ:

Carers, co-sufferers,
Career un-chosen,
Tend disconnected,
The mumblers, and frozen.

Altered, unfair,
Re-written contracts;
No wedded-bliss,
When ill cannot act.

Wives, husbands,
Family, relatives old,
Air-brushed awareness,
As PD takes hold:

My prop, my chained-helper,
Engaged, far too cheap:
Her offset disbursement,
Too tired to weep.

When care is passed on,
With my atheist-prayer,
I ask her forgiveness,
For our contract, unfair.

Listen to a recording of Mike reading this poem and discover more of his poetry on his website here.