6:00 AM (bam,bam,bam)

[festus50]

The birds are chirping
outside and the sun is
coming up
The TV is on at the
group home
"You can be rich
it's easy"
infomercial
See Joe it's that
easy.

It's about that time
rookie
Joe just started at the home
Phone rings;
"Festus I can't come in
I'm sick."
The 6-9 girl called off.
great, it's only me
and the rookie

SHOWTIME

"Who is the renegade around here?"
You are the renegade
I taught Billy a new word
"I wanna marry you Festus."
I don't swing that way pal
He didn't hear me
"You're sweeter than a rose"
You're sweeter than Spiro Agnew
now take these meds.

"Festus I can't get Gil in the shower."
Take his radio n the bathroom
with you.
Gil is a rock star
he loves his tunes
Gil likes to test the rookies
Gil is done with his shower
he sits in his chair
with his radio
Guns & Roses
fills the air
I do the Axle Rose
shuffle
then we do meds

Sam I am is up
he is not wet
beautiful
"Bah-bah"
Joe will give you a bah bah
then you can eat
Harold is truckin down the hall
straight to the kitchen
back to the med room
Harold get your applesauce
out of the fridge.
Sometimes he gets it for me
Harold your shoes are on backward
dude.
Harold is non-verbal
all of them are except
Roger and Billy
Harold can say "good job"
and "dirty- dirty"
Harold is done with meds
two down four to go.

"Festus, Sam tried to head-butt me."
Rookies, why do they test the rookies?

Ted needs to take a shower
use the toilet first
I make a T with my fist
Ted is done and dressed

"Festus, there was a large BM in the front toilet."
Was? You didn't flush it did you?
"Yeah I flushed it."
Auuugh, damn rookies!
"Why? Are you telling me you can tell
who's it is by looking at it?"
BMology my friend.
I must inspect the log
so I can log the log
in the med book log
never flush a log.
Wait was there toilet paper
all over the place?
"Yeah"
It was Harry.
Yikes! Where is Harry?
"He is in the front living room
eating half a meatloaf."
Hand it over Mr. Food Hawker.

"I gotta go to the bathroom!"
Joe help Roger go to the bathroom.

Back to the med room
I pop Sam's pills
from the med pack
I put the pills in a paper cup
put another cup on top
put thm in thr pill
crusher
bam
bam
bam
every morning
and every night
you'll
hear
bam
bam
bam

"Festus, can you help me get Roger in his chair?"
"What's up with you Festus?"
I flick his light on and off.
"Festus, don't play around today!"
Little tired there Rog?
"Stop Festus."
What's up with you Cookie Monster?
"What's up? What are you going to do today?"
Oh, probably fly my Lear jet
down to the Caymens
and eat some rock lobster
Okay Rog is ready
Joe could you feed Harry please?
"What should I feed him?"
Anything but that meatloaf.
Roger's meds are done.

Sam get your applesauce
back to the med room
"Festus I want to throw you in the canal."
Oh Billy, Billy, Billy
Sam sits down
bam, bam, bam
I pound Sam's meds
Sam smiles
bam, bam, bam
Sam laughs
time stands still
when sam laughs
my heart goes bam, bam, bam
for Sam
he was rescuded from the institution
seeing Sam laugh makes it all worth while

Everybody is done
med check is done

8:00 AM

Debbie the manager comes in.
"Festus I need to talk to you."
This isn't good.
"Festus, you forgot to pull the meat yesterday."
What? I pull the meat when I get home Debbie
and I think that is a tad personal, don't you?
"Ha, ha, no I mean you didn't pull the meat out
of the fridge to thaw for the night's dinner.
So let's see"
She checks the calendar
"I'm going to put you in for a retrain
on meat pulling. The class is June 23rd
at 9:00 AM."

HMMMM
I wonder who is teaching the class?

BAM BAM BAM

[rocha]

Festus.... your a genius....this is so funny and sweet. The opening is a real trick "Showtime"....and then the action begins. I loved the characters and the interactions....very well written... a very collectable piece of writing. Thanks for posting.

[festus50]

Thanks, the names have been changed because of HIPPA laws. I've been working there
for the last four years. Oh, the fun just never ends.

[davidmm]

I am not sure whether to consider this a hilarious piece of human observation or a sad memory jogger on how society pushes some of its less fortunate members into hidden corners; maybe it's a bit of both. I guess it's good that we have people around who can smile while they have to cope with such situations.

[jesternight]

I missed all the softness and humor.......saw only an icy portrayal of troubled people being tended to by harried and tedious attendents.........a sense of hopelessness rather than hopefulness......doom rather than rehabilitation and restoration......the only glimmer of humanity in the teasings......which were overpowered by the grimness.

As a poetic work it is very interesting.......a little hard to follow at times......publishable and innovative.......sensory in the way that I came away with different sensations than Rocha......and other readers might get different "feelings" seeping from the portrayal.  Very good work though I think.....don't see many like them.......you are innovating.

When the meds don't cure?  They are only a cynical perpetuation of medical and human misery.......an expensive game of pretend......that has no end.......and perhaps just a cynical game of money making.......[that is probably where my darker reading gains it's birthplace].

[festus50]

We do the best we can. It is a very interesting job.

Thanks for reading

[jeannerené]

Festus,

I so get the humor here .... and the humanity ... and the empathy. For the last 19 years I've worked with teens with severe disabilities, cognitive and physical. Our entire Special Education program works toward the ultimate goal of having each of the young people strive toward being as independent as is possible, as well as being contributing members of society.  They are wonderful students to work with and the rewards are many.  Rewards also come from being in difficult, trying or unusual situations and being able to see the lighter side of the situation....being able to see the simple humanity of it all.  I believe you've done the same here ... although this is obviously about adults with special needs, you've acknowledged several elements ... the hardship ... the frustration ... the routine (routine being very important to those with disabilities) ... the intuitive interaction ... and the humor ...

We have one student ... who likes to see objects fly up into the air ... especially onto the roof ..... and just this past Wednesday ... well he got the notion to throw his iPod and headphones up on the roof .... and then Poof! ... which is his favorite expression after sending objects into flight.  Last week he threw his brand new A's cap off the wharf into the deep-blue sea .... Proof!  ....

That's only one student .... we have 18 students this year ... all with either Downs Syndrome or Autism ............. and though not this year ... but several times students with the onset of schizophrenia.

But the thing is ... we all have our Proof! moments ... We all want to pretend we are flying down to the Caymens in a jet and eat lobster ... maybe more than we'd like to admit.  But I can tell from reading your two poems ... The Sunday Night Mass Gang & Bam Bam Bam .... that you have much affection for the people you help to make it through a simple day.  I think perhaps that people .... who do not work with or have members in their family who have disabilities ... only see the darker side of the picture.  I can't tell you how many times I've been in a random conversation out in the public and someone will inevitably say "Oh.... how sad."  I have to answer, "No ... no ... just different." 

(The terrible sadness comes for those with disabilities who are abused or live in parts of the world where their care or interests are of little importance)

People with disabilities whether from birth, misfortune or dementia are all so individual, and their disabilities for the majority does not take away from their ability to give and receive love, laughter and learning within their capacity.... or to live a happy life.  In my experience those who do not know the population up close and personal .... do not see the individuality or the personality.  I know far more success stories over the past 19 years than I do of human misery ...

Meds are not there to cure .... only to assist ... to help with behaviors.

.............. So I'm on a soapbox ...  .... but I love this poem .... because it comes from the heart and from knowing the reality ............ and knowing the laughter ....

........... AND ....  then .... the bureaucracy of it all .... that's the darker side of the job ...

She checks the calendar
"I'm going to put you in for a retrain
on meat pulling. The class is June 23rd
at 9:00 AM."

................ I just about died ............

Thanks for sharing...

.j.

[festus50]

It was Geraldo Rivera who broke the story of Willowbrook state institution
and the abuse of thousands of mentally handicapped residents.
If people learn more about the history of all these group homes they will
get a better understanding of where their tax dollars are going.

You summed it all up Jeanne, thank you.