I was hospitalized in Idaho State Hospital South, in Blackfoot, in 2009, for about three months. That resulted in a few poems, one of which I will share with you now.
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Insane Asylum
I’m walking down the hall
in the Admissions Unit of
State Hospital South
in Blackfoot.
There’s some fucken loon
in the dayroom
Just running his mouth–
God help me.
So I came into my room
Where it’s quiet and safe
Picked up my pen and began to write.
Then I thanked the good Lord
my door is closed
cuz someone down my hallway
lets rip a good one and sighs.
O God help me.
I can’t wait to get the hell out
And go back home where
I’ll sleep on my own bed
And when I wake up
I can make a pot of coffee,
Smoke a ciggy if I want,
Turn on the computer and
Check my email if I want.
I can shower
In the privacy of my own bathroom
And walk into my bedroom
Naked if I want.
I can eat breakfast
When I want
And eat
What I want
On my own plates and my
Own silverware
With real butter and white toast
if I want–
And I’m really looking forward to the
Pot of real coffee.
I can drive my car
Wherever I want to go
And all my picture frames
Will have glass in them.
No nurses station
No cafeteria
No long hallways.
No strange crazy people farting
No watchful nurses who are checking on me
Every half hour.
No treatment plan
No goal group —
No, nothing like that.
I’ve been institutionalized so long
I almost forgot what freedom is like.
But now I remember and I
Can’t wait to go home.
W. Spencer
July 2009
SHS Blackfoot, Idaho
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I’m in the mood for posting so I’ll post another one written in the same time period. It’s very different than this one.
Thank you for reading.
wspencer104965 