Nurse Eleanor

Written by David K. Gilchrist.

In a note on the poem the author says this poem is "A tribute to a 1949-50 classmate's decision to go into nursing."

Nurse Eleanor

Florence Nightingale - a nurse - pictured in her mind the curse

Of wound uncared for, gangrened limb, soldiers lying tortured, grim.

To go was hard .... to not was even worse!

And thus, a great tradition came, to make the dying and the lame,

The sick and lacerated, well; to bring encouragement, and dwell

With those in need. Christ did the same.

Yes, others filled her sacred place, when death had stilled her careful face:

In peace at home, as well as war. And you have followed, Eleanor.

May your reward be God's good Grace upon your home, for evermore.

David K. Gilchrist, ca early 1950'2

#DavidKGilchrist

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Image credit: Harrison Fisher’s Red Cross poster (ca. 1917) from the Woodrow Wilson House Collection.

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