Sickness Poems

Poems for when a Loved One is Sick

When a family member has an illness, the entire family can be affected. The way that the illness is dealt with has an affect on the entire family. Some mothers or fathers feel that it is best to discuss the illness as little as possible with their children because they don't want to worry them. This can often have the opposite effect. Because the children know something is going on, but they don't know what, it often feels more scary for them. It is often best to give them as much information as they ask for. In this way they will feel part of what is going on.

21 Poems About Sickness and Pain

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1. I'm A Person Too

I'm a CNA in a nursing/rehab center, and love what I do. I've been in the medical field for 14 years and couldn't ask for a more rewarding job. I wrote this poem by putting myself in a patients shoes while writing.

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- By Dawn Mazzola
- Published by Family Friend Poems December 2010 with permission of the Author.
Poem From Patient To Hospital Staff

Here I lie in bed again, Awaiting my next meal.
A worker barges in my room, As if it's no big deal.

What ever happened to courtesy? Just a little knock.

Here I lie in bed again, Awaiting my next meal.
A worker barges in my room, As if it's no big deal.

What ever happened to courtesy? Just a little knock.
Do you think I'm just a vegetable, Laying here like a rock?

What ever happened to manners? I haven't got a clue.

BUT KEEP IN MIND AND DON'T FORGET, THAT I'M A PERSON TOO.

I know I can not talk, Or even joke around.
But I'm well aware of everything, and also every sound.

If you have another worker help, change me during rounds.
Please don't talk about me, as if I'm not around.

Treat me with respect, the same I'd give to you.

KEEP IN MIND AND DON'T FORGET, THAT I'M A PERSON TOO.

My bones are stiff and achy, I hear you say I'm contracted.
My belly hurts, I haven't pooped, I hope I'm not impacted.

I'm sorry I may drool, and at times I even stare.
It's not easy being old, aging isn't fair.

These are the cards God dealt me, There's nothing I can do.

JUST KEEP IN MIND AND DON'T FORGET, THAT I'M A PERSON TOO.

I used to be a lively one, just like your pretty self.
I traveled, married, and worked long hours until I lost my health.

I press my light to see a face, Or just for company.
For someone just to look inside, and realize that I'm ME.

You walked past my light, what am I to do?

PLEASE REMEMBER I'M A PERSON TOO.

I'm sorry that I messed the bed, I feel like such a baby.
I'm so embarrassed, and ashamed, that I'm doing this at eighty.

I'm sorry I couldn't hold it, I didn't know what to do.

KEEP IN MIND AND DON'T FORGET, THAT I'M A PERSON TOO.

I wish that I was able, to communicate some way.
So finally I'd get the chance, to say what I want to say.

I hear you talk with other patients, so please don't walk away.
If everyone showed a little compassion, I wouldn't feel this way.

My name is Helen, and I'm all alone.
Cancer took my husband, he had it in his bones.

We had one child, our precious son.
Until his life was taken by a gun.

So here I am, no family left, as loneliness weighs heavy on my chest.

I may be sad, I may be blue.

PLEASE REMEMBER I'M A PERSON TOO.

Next time my light is on, come and see if I'm OK.
I'm a retired nurse of thirty years, and would love to hear about your day.
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I too worked as a CNA for 15 plus years and then I choose to do private home health care. I always respected my residents and my private clients and demanded that everyone else did. They each...

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2. Dementia

My beautiful mum passed away on the January 20, 2020. I looked after mum at home for 10 years and then mum was placed in a care facility where she was for 3 years.

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- By Debbie Bell
- Published by Family Friend Poems December 2020 with permission of the Author.
Dementia From The Parent’s Perspective

Help me to remember
What I forget each day.
Don't let the dementia
Take my memories away.

Help me to remember
What I forget each day.
Don't let the dementia
Take my memories away.
Keep reminding me
What we used to do,
And always remember
I'll always love you.
You are my beautiful child,
That will never change.
Though the dementia
Will make me act strange,
It's not my fault, my love.
It's the dementia that I have.
It's what is does to you,
So try not to be sad.
Just hold my hand
And try to reassure me.
If I'm very confused
Just change the story.
At times I will be there.
I'll remember little things,
But then it will fade again
And sadness it will bring.
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My friends Dad has this. She would love this poem.

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3. Changing Places

I always felt that of the over 500 poems that I have written, this one was the most insightful as it was written when my older sister started through this pattern. Now, at 92, I am watching myself carefully and thanking God I am still OK. I'm also glad that I lived through the era when music was music and poetry was rhythm and rhyme. I am grateful for my file of special letters from people from all over the world who read my poetry and let me know they were amused, comforted, or inspired.
- By Alora M. Knight
- Published by Family Friend Poems August 2015 with permission of the Author.
Poem About When A Loved One Has Alzheimer's

I see the sadness in your eyes,
The times that you are knowing
What's happening to your wondrous mind,
The symptoms you are showing.

I see the sadness in your eyes,
The times that you are knowing
What's happening to your wondrous mind,
The symptoms you are showing.

It was so hard to recognize
When they started coming through.
The little things that changed you
From the person that I knew.

The doctor's confirmation
Was so hard to accept,
To know that little could be done,
That there's no cure as of yet.

Forgive me, dear, if sometimes
I give in to my frustrations.
It's just so overwhelming,
This change in our relations.

Now I'm the one to be on guard,
To keep you safe from harm,
Protecting you the best I can
And not showing my alarm.

I hope you still can understand
How much you mean to me.
Though you curse me or forget me,
I'll accept what has to be.

For I will still remember
The joys that we once shared.
You showed me in so many ways
How very much you cared.

I pray to God to give me strength
To do what must be done,
To trust that in the future
This battle will be won.
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Memories! I was 53, he 54 when the complications of Alzheimer's took him. At his prime as an exporter, his secretary fell for him. I left and visited Canada for 3 months, but on my return,...

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4. Living With Dementia

Dedicated to every family whose parent is suffering with dementia or alzheimer's disease.
- By Annabel Sheila
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2008 with permission of the Author.
She's trapped inside the prison walls
That used to be her mind.
The woman that she used to be,
Has long been left behind.

She's trapped inside the prison walls
That used to be her mind.
The woman that she used to be,
Has long been left behind.

There are times she's quite alert,
Her memory's still intact.
Then there are days when she disappears,
And we know it's not an act.

No longer able to care for herself,
We couldn't leave her alone.
Her safety had to be assured,
So we placed her in a home.

Good days are when we visit her,
And she calls us by our name.
She's grateful for the company,
And thankful that we came.

Most of the time it's difficult,
To see our Mom that way.
All we can do is love her now,
As we take life day by day.

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Would love to read some of your experiences. I am currently caring for and have two care givers looking after my 80 year old mother.

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5. Overdose

This poem came to me as I visited my brother in the hospital after he overdosed.
- By Julie Lee
- Published by Family Friend Poems May 2008 with permission of the Author.
The Person Behind The Patient Poem Message To Doctors And Nurses

Who do you see lying there,
As you hold his wrist in your hand?
I see what you see, but I know who I know
My brother, your patient, the man.

Who do you see lying there,
As you hold his wrist in your hand?
I see what you see, but I know who I know
My brother, your patient, the man.

Someone who babbles, dribbles and smells,
A pretty unpleasant sight,
Someone who stares and laughs for no reason,
Someone who "isn't quite right".

But I know the child who played in the sun
With the hopes and dreams of us all
The teen who loved music and QPR,
With a talent for playing football.

No, he doesn't play now, his ankles were crushed
When he jumped to escape from the pain
Of the demons who haunted and taunted him
No, he'll never play football again.

But somewhere there still is the person
Who's loving, gentle, and kind,
Who lives in fear of a hostile world
That he sees with his tortured mind.

Just wanted you to see beyond
The shell now in your care,
So you could know a bit of the man
My brother, lying there

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It tells a touching and moving story using tight, easily readable stanzas. That's a rare combination. Nicely done!

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6. She Is Strong

My daughter was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at the age of 13. She is now 28. We have been through some rough times with ketoacidosis, and I have known what it is like to have a doctor say, "We are doing all we can." On October 5, 2013, she will have gone one year without a hospital visit. She is struggling with some of the complications of diabetes in her digestive system and it is becoming harder for her to control her blood sugars. This poem is about my admiration for her.
- By Mary Ann Parks
- Published by Family Friend Poems August 2015 with permission of the Author.
Poem About A Daughter's Struggle With Diabetes

At birth,
she was strong.

It was her

At birth,
she was strong.

It was her
mother
who knew
that her
previously
pink and soft-edged
life
was about
to become
sharp,
red,
tangled in pain
and without
a guarantee.

But
she was strong,
and
even through
the
unkept
promises
and
the highs
and
the lows,
she stayed strong.

And
some nights,
her mother
sleeps
beside her
in a hospital.
Coming there
in confusion,
panting,
vomiting,
slipping away,
in an ambulance
or a helicopter,
with tubes
and needles
and anxiety,
panic,
terror,
then relief.
Always love.
Thinking,
"Why her?"
"Why us?"

And
as she finally
sleeps,
peacefully,
just as she did
as a baby,
and the adrenaline
fades away,
and the pain
gives way
to such beauty,
her mother
thinks to herself,
"Thank God,
she is strong."
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This is very similar to my younger sister. About 2 years ago she was really sick. I look back on pictures of her before she was diagnosed (T1D) and I can't believe I didn't notice something...

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7. Last Embers Verse II

Watching someone you love very much slowly drift away.
- By BGW
- Published by Family Friend Poems September 21, 2022 with permission of the Author.
When The End Of Life Is Near

Each day you come and see me, I wonder who you are.
You seem so happy to sit beside me and give away your time.
As you tell me stories, I sit there in a dreamlike state of mind.
I don't know if I knew you, so many memories have passed me by.

Each day you come and see me, I wonder who you are.
You seem so happy to sit beside me and give away your time.
As you tell me stories, I sit there in a dreamlike state of mind.
I don't know if I knew you, so many memories have passed me by.

You talk to me so much, but silence is all I can reply.
As you hold my hand, I see the tears swell up in your eyes.
You seem so happy to see me, yet still I make you cry.
You sob such soft and gentle tears, but I cannot reason why.

You talk of different places, but these four walls are all I see.
These walls I sit and look at are all the comfort that I need.
The walls provide safety; the life outdoors is not for me.
My life is slow and simple, the world outside confuses me.

Each day you're next to me, familiarity at my side.
You offer me love and kindness, but I have no emotions left to give.
Your face hides so much burden; I sense the end is near.
You watch me slowly drift away, like the last embers on the fire.
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8. Living With Dementia

I wrote this poem to raise awareness of people suffering from dementia. I work as a caregiver, and until starting this job, I didn't understand much about dementia or how it affected people. I would like to share my newfound knowledge with others and ensure that everyone knows that it isn't just "being forgetful" or "being difficult" and that it is just as distressing for those suffering as it is for those around them.
- By Emma L. Buckley
- Published by Family Friend Poems October 27, 2021 with permission of the Author.
Dementia Awareness

My mind is not what it once was:
wilting like a rose.
One thing you must remember:
this is not the life I chose.

My mind is not what it once was:
wilting like a rose.
One thing you must remember:
this is not the life I chose.

Memories grow more distant
each and every day.
I never once considered
that I'd end up this way.

So please hold judgement.
Let me be.
Please be patient.
I am still me.

It takes a little longer now for me to understand
but with your help, I will.
My moods and symptoms vary,
but I am human still.

Dementia comes in many forms,
we need to spread the word.
Make everyone you know aware,
as they may not have heard.

I hope we find a cure one day,
for I feel like I'm stuck.
Researchers work very hard,
I pray they have some luck.

My mind is not what it once was:
wilting like a rose.
One thing you must remember:
this is not the life I chose.
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Sometimes you just NEED a break. My parents' assisted living center is short on staff, and I'm trying to be there more. Last night I fed them BOTH and then (with my horrible back with tumors...

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9. Losing Me...Finding Me

In February 2010, at the age of 42, after a year of pain, confusion, and frustration, I was diagnosed with Parkinson's. Having always been a healthy, active, and energetic person, I struggled to adjust to a life of pain and uncertainty, and I had to come to terms with the loss of the person I had always been.
Gradually, with God at my side, supporting or sometimes even carrying me, I began to accept the new path I was required to tread.
- By Gabrielle Kruger
- Published by Family Friend Poems February 2017 with permission of the Author.
Diagnosed With Parkinson's Disease

I look in the mirror and the person I see
Is someone who used to be me.
That person was strong and healthy, rarely ill,
And her energy was endless; she never sat still.

I look in the mirror and the person I see
Is someone who used to be me.
That person was strong and healthy, rarely ill,
And her energy was endless; she never sat still.

Then one day she disappeared behind my face,
And a stranger took her place.
I'm living in a body I no longer know,
And a pain from within me has begun to grow.

At night, when others sleep, I lie awake,
Feeling my body tremble and shake.
My limbs feel stiff and my muscles ache.
I feel like a rag doll about to break.

"What's wrong with me?" asks a voice from within.
"And whose body is this, under my skin?
Surely this isn't going to be the new me?"
Then a Higher Voice whispers, "Just accept it...it's meant to be."

I searched for answers...a diagnosis I needed.
A long 9 months later I found a doctor who heeded.
A condition was confirmed; I wasn't losing my mind.
Hypochondria it wasn't...Parkinson's was the find.

I have to keep going; this isn't the end.
Just a rough, rocky road with a very big bend.
I know God will help me; He never lets me down.
With His hand in mine, there's no need to frown.

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Sorry to hear that, Paul. Keep your head up, and I would love to hear more of your poetry and share some of your future journey. Sharing helps. Keep fighting

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10. Last Embers Verse I

This poem is about the pain of watching someone loved so very much just slowly fade away.
- By BGW
- Published by Family Friend Poems January 5, 2022 with permission of the Author.
Slowly Losing A Loved One

The clarity of my mind has faded.
Those vibrant thoughts, slowly washed away.
Memories once so strong, are now so distant.
Names of those I held so dear, escape me now.

The clarity of my mind has faded.
Those vibrant thoughts, slowly washed away.
Memories once so strong, are now so distant.
Names of those I held so dear, escape me now.

My life is confused, unclear, like the darkness of the night.
The warmth of stories old, no longer take me back.
A life remembered fondly by so many, is hidden to me now.
Solemn times, so cherished and adored, no longer come to mind.

People look at me so lovingly, but I know not who they are.
Loving faces so unfamiliar, they no longer bring a smile.
No sign of love is felt, nothing lights my eyes.
How I wish I knew these people, and why I make them cry.

You hold my hand, I feel no love, no sense of who you are.
My thoughts so barren of recollection, so empty to my voice.
A life bereft of meaning, emotion and desire.
My life once so radiant, just the last few embers of the fire.
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I and (I'm guessing many hundreds of thousands of) others know exactly what you mean first-hand.

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11. In His Hands

This was just how I felt when I found out my dad had cancer, just my thoughts and feelings.
- By Jamie A. Cirello
- Published by Family Friend Poems June 2007 with permission of the Author.
Finding Out Dad Is Sick

I heard some bad news today, something that made me scared,
Today I found out my dad has cancer; it was something I had always feared.
I knew many people that passed away because of this evil cell,
Yet I know of some that beat it, and of course turned out well.

I heard some bad news today, something that made me scared,
Today I found out my dad has cancer; it was something I had always feared.
I knew many people that passed away because of this evil cell,
Yet I know of some that beat it, and of course turned out well.
The fact that my dad is sick, just completely blows my mind,
When this poison is inside of him, and the cure they cannot find.
My mom is really upset, and doesn't know what to do,
My sister cries herself to sleep and sometimes I find myself doing it too.
I know I have to be strong, and my prayers are always said,
But the question is: Does anyone really hear me when I'm lying there in bed?
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, that's why I always have hope,
But with each passing day that it's on my mind, I find it really hard to cope.
I promised myself that no matter what, I would stay strong for my dad,
His feelings he does not show really well, but I know that he is sad.
I know our fate is in your hands God, but please have mercy on his soul,
Hold his hand and watch over him, as his treatment he will soon undergo.
Help him through this struggle, as he is precious to me like a pearl,
God, please listen for our prayer's..........signed....daddy's little girl!
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I have a friend. Her 8-year-old girl is diagnosed with a brain tumor. I want a poem to comfort her and tell her everything will be fine. This will be her second operation. She is still young.

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12. The Greatest Loss

This poem is about a man watching his wife fade away due to Alzheimer's Disease
- By Patricia A Fleming
- Published by Family Friend Poems September 2018 with permission of the Author.
Watching A Wife Fade From Alzheimer's Disease

When the time came again to visit her there,
He'd feel that dark sense of despair.
He could already picture her sweet, gentle face,
Marred by that sad, empty stare.

When the time came again to visit her there,
He'd feel that dark sense of despair.
He could already picture her sweet, gentle face,
Marred by that sad, empty stare.

Sometimes he'd wonder just where she had gone.
It was as if she was only a shell.
Most of the time she'd forget who he was,
Or she'd swear he was somebody else.

It was torture for him to see her like this,
Surrounded by other lost souls.
She was gradually losing herself every day.
There was nothing that she could control.

Her good days grew less and her bad days grew worse.
It was as if she had already died.
There were days he'd be willing to tell her good-bye.
She was existing, not living a life.

But oh how he'd long to see her again.
For a moment, to just catch a glimpse
Of that wonderful woman, so special and dear,
That dear wife he so desperately missed.

The cruelty of life was undeniable,
And the reality of death was a curse.
But watching that person he adored fade away,
For him, there had been nothing worse.

He wanted so much just to hold her
And together stroll down memory lane.
But the life they once knew stopped existing for her,
And she no longer could see him the same.

He held on for years, ever loyal and true.
She was still all that mattered in life.
And despite how much farther she drifted away,
His heart kept her always close by.

When that last moment came, he was with her.
He was there sitting right by her side,
And his heart filled with joy as she looked up at him,
And their love shined so bright in her eyes.
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My fiance and the love of my life had passed from cancer one year ago. My heart is forever scared, but I must go on with my life and raise my four-year-old daughter.

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13. Past, Present, Future

I never go to sleep at night without the fear that tomorrow may bring pain. This is life as an Epileptic.
- By Hali
- Published by Family Friend Poems February 2016 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Life With Epilepsy

My eyes glistening with tears,
But not yet fallen.
I'm crying, but they're silent tears.
I'm crying on the inside so you are unable to see

My eyes glistening with tears,
But not yet fallen.
I'm crying, but they're silent tears.
I'm crying on the inside so you are unable to see
All the pain running though me.

I never sleep,
For fear of what tomorrow might bring.
How can I be so lost
In a place I know so well?
How can I be so broken
In a family so together?
How can I be so confused
Surrounded by so many?

Always forced to fight.
A fight I never seem to win.
God only knows such a fact.
I've fought for so long.
When will this ever end?
Sometimes I walk past everyone as if I were invisible.

Everything's moving with no place to go.
I tell myself that everything's going to be ok,
But it's seizures.
The time it took to change me.
The life I had, I can't have back.
Yet I can't see why all these tears feel so unreal.
I'm not the same, my words are still unsaid.
So instead, I write them on paper.
What I hide is buried deep within me.

So many tears I have shed in the dark,
Hidden away in the privacy of my own thoughts,
Only to be shelved with morning's first light
Because of no courage to speak of my pain.
And it hurts to know that I'll never be the same,
Knowing I'll never be the girl I used to be.
If you only knew what I've been through,
Or maybe you could take a walk in my shoes,
Because this is sometimes how I feel.

A WISH JUST TO BE SEIZURE FREE
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My dad had epilepsy, and i remember waking up in the middle of the night to hear him crying because of his seizures, because he had accidentally hurt one of us. As a kid I was always having...

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14. My Father

A boy watches his father in wallow in sickness. He is torn between his desire for his father to escape the pain, and his desire to continue to see his father live.
- By Lizzette Cambron
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2006 with permission of the Author.
Poem Heartache Of Watching A Loved One Suffer: A Son's Story

My father is ill
And fading away
Still here for a while
And a few more days

My father is ill
And fading away
Still here for a while
And a few more days
I'm grateful he's here
Not a moment to spare
I love him so much
For him I care
I'm wishing he stays to see me wed
And see my first baby in its tiny bed
Him being gone I could not handle
Every night I would light him a beautiful candle
If he was to go
I'm happy to know
To fly away he would spread his wings
And listen as his guardian angel sings
I'll be happy to know he's in a better place
Even though I'll never forget his lovely face
A great father he is
No daddy is better
No one will ever be
No matter whoever
He is also very handsome
With his baby blue eyes
And his jet-black hair
It makes me cry
He has so many tubes and liquids to gain
I wish he would just go
And feel no more pain
In a way, I want him to stay
And hear him say,
' My sweet little daughter it will be okay'
If God wants him free
I'll need one last touch
He'll be in a better place
And I will miss him very much
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This made me cry, such a great poem. My dad has multiple sclerosis and has lived in a nursing home for 16 years. I'm only 20 so almost my whole life he has been in there. I know once he dies...

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15. Suffering Up Close

My poem is not a happy one, it is sad and it is real, and at some point in life many will come face to face with some type of suffering, but the most heart breaking suffering is that of someone we love, and we can be so close yet feel so helpless. I am sure that there are others that have felt this type of pain.
- By Patricia L. Cisco
- Published by Family Friend Poems July 2018 with permission of the Author.
Poem About When A Loved One Is Suffering

Suffering up close is so different from afar,
it's the supreme test in life,
to show what strengths there are.

Suffering up close is so different from afar,
it's the supreme test in life,
to show what strengths there are.

Will I have the strength,
to watch the pain I do not bare,
and help another through her cross
which she does not want to share.

Can I help her make it through the night,
until the dawn appears,
and will I be able to comfort her and wipe away her fears?

Yes, suffering up close is so different from afar,
You know when you've been through it,
when your heart wears sorrow's scar.
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Dear Melissa, I am so sorry it took me so long to reply to you. I am sorry for the loss of your father, my heart goes out to you. I wrote "Suffering Up Close" after my precious mother passed...

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16. A Forgotten Life

My mum has been suffering from dementia for 4 years and is now in a residential home. She is 84, and up until the age of 78, she was still working and driving. She doesn't remember her husband or myself and my 2 sisters. In fact, there is no recognition in her memory of the life she had before the dementia. It seems such a cruel disease to wipe out a person's life completely that it inspired me to write this poem. I am sure it will relate to a lot of people experiencing this "loss" of a loved one.
- By Linda Harrison
- Published by Family Friend Poems August 2014 with permission of the Author.
Poem About A Loved One Suffering With Dementia

She resides in a home, sits in a chair,
Nothing to bother her, make her worry or care.
Caretakers to help her wash and dress,
Doing all that they can not to cause her distress.

She resides in a home, sits in a chair,
Nothing to bother her, make her worry or care.
Caretakers to help her wash and dress,
Doing all that they can not to cause her distress.
She smiles and accepts the care that they give,
The meals and the medicines she depends on to live.

Her mind should have memories both good and bad.
Why can't she remember the life she once had?
Not aware of the people who came to see her today
Or what they told her, or how long the stay.

Family and friends she no longer knows.
Just a flicker of remembrance occasionally shows.
The memories are gone, now just a blank, empty space,
Remembering nothing she had before she came to this place.

Is she sad and afraid? She can't let us know
Because these are emotions she's unable to show.
All that's changed is her mind. She is still there,
The same person for whom I always will care.
I'll always remember what she means to me
Because she's my mum, who else could she be?
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Hello. I can so relate to what you have said. and of course more than what you have said. My Dad got dementia when he was 83. He wouldn't accept that he needed help and I would take weeks...

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17. Let Me Go

This poem is about someone - a mother who is ill and just wants to be released from her children and husband to float away to another, better world. These are her thoughts...
- By Laura J Sanders
- Published by Family Friend Poems June 27, 2023 with permission of the Author.
Poem About A Mother Dying And Letting Go Of Family Bonds

Let me go, release me like a flying kite.
Let me go, let me fade, like day turns to night.
Watch me sink, like the deep orange setting sun.
For 'twas a sunset of dreams I once provided for everyone.

Let me go, release me like a flying kite.
Let me go, let me fade, like day turns to night.
Watch me sink, like the deep orange setting sun.
For 'twas a sunset of dreams I once provided for everyone.

Let me go, the person I used to be,
For I'm no longer her; I've changed to a new me,
Someone who is forgetful and confused with time and place.
Soon I will not recognize you, may not even know your face.

Let me go, remember the good times we used to share.
Just hold my hand and show me that you care.
As we venture onwards, my love to you I send.
Our love will keep us going, as I near the final bend.
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18. My Pain

This poem basically tells the story. I have been to 4 different sets of doctors and now I'm going to my 5th. They don't really know what's wrong with me, but that’s okay. I know they will. That is my one hope. Thanks to all my friends and my family for being there for me. I LOVE YOU GUYS!
- By Sami Chester
- Published by Family Friend Poems January 2011 with permission of the Author.
Poem About Being Sick Waiting For Diagnosis

You try to understand
But I don't want you to
I don't think you can comprehend
The pain that I go through.

You try to understand
But I don't want you to
I don't think you can comprehend
The pain that I go through.

I never get to sleep
Because I cry all night
The doctors don't know what it is
Or what's wrong with my sight.

The pain's almost unbearable
Like a thousand stabbing knives
And when my skin gets wet
My body's covered in hives.

I wish that I could show you
How it hurts to breathe or move
But I know that it's not possible
So this I cannot prove.

The touch of skin or fabric
I want to scream out loud
But I know I won't do so
Cause the sound drowns in the crowd.

What's that you say
I can't hear you
Speak up please
It's my hearing too.

My muscles freeze
My joints lock
I am scared
I cannot walk.

I lay in bed
Do nothing all day
My mom brings my food up
On a tray.

I chew my food
My mouth needs to soak
I sip my water
I start to choke.

I'm scared to think
What happens next
Cause the situation
Is too complex.
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Your poem touched me, after reading this you have been in my prayers. It's almost been nine months that I've been sick, in and out of hospitals my whole eighth grade year. Everyday in...

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19. Grandma

As her grandmother lays sick, she pleads to her to hold on and live to get better for there are so many whom she is precious to.
- By Jessica K. Riley
- Published by Family Friend Poems August 2006 with permission of the Author.
Don't Give Up Poem

O Grandma, O Grandma, don't ever give up hope.
All you family and friends are learning to cope.
Please stay strong and never stop praying.
You will get better soon; that's what everyone is saying.

O Grandma, O Grandma, don't ever give up hope.
All you family and friends are learning to cope.
Please stay strong and never stop praying.
You will get better soon; that's what everyone is saying.

You are Grandpa's life; please stay with him.
If you were to leave us, the world would be so grim,
You are on our minds every minute of every day.
You would never get sick if I had it my way.

Loving and generous is what you are.
Everyone who loves you isn't too far.
I can't tell you how much I care about you.
I know you'll get better; I know this is true.

There is one thing that you have to promise me you'll do,
Please beat this thing and keep your faith too,
Don't ever give up hope and don't ever say goodbye,
because God is with you and so am I.
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Beautiful poem. I love it. One of my favorite poems on this website.

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20. Fading

I've worked in care for about 20 years, mainly with people who have dementia. This poem is based on some of the things I've experienced.
- By Danb Fernie
- Published by Family Friend Poems March 6, 2023 with permission of the Author.
Poem On When Memories Start To Fade

I know that nothing ever lasts,
and my memories, they're fading fast,
but I have my photographs,
and I know we used to laugh.

I know that nothing ever lasts,
and my memories, they're fading fast,
but I have my photographs,
and I know we used to laugh.
You come and sit with me each day,
and I hear most of what you say,
but sometimes I don't understand,
and I'm so glad you hold my hand.
I wish that I could let you in
to see what lies beneath my skin
and let you wander through my mind
and let you watch my dreams unwind.
I try to recognize your face,
but it has changed in many ways.
Are you the girl that I adore?
Why can't I see her anymore?
I wish that I could explain
how nothing ever feels the same.
Now I'm lost and all alone,
and I can't find my way back home.
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1 - 20 of 21

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At Family Friend Poems our goal is to publish poems that have the power to inspire emotions. We focus specifically on publishing poems that convey love, encourage healing and touch the heart.

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Seasonal Poetry Collections

Sickness Poems

Poems for when a Loved One is Sick

21 Poems About Sickness and Pain

1. I'm A Person Too

I'm a CNA in a nursing/rehab center, and love what I do. I've been in the medical field for 14 years and couldn't ask for a more rewarding job. I wrote this poem by putting myself in a patients shoes while writing.

2. Dementia

My beautiful mum passed away on the January 20, 2020. I looked after mum at home for 10 years and then mum was placed in a care facility where she was for 3 years.

3. Changing Places

4. Living With Dementia

Dedicated to every family whose parent is suffering with dementia or alzheimer's disease.

5. Overdose

This poem came to me as I visited my brother in the hospital after he overdosed.

6. She Is Strong

7. Last Embers Verse II

Watching someone you love very much slowly drift away.

8. Living With Dementia

9. Losing Me...Finding Me

10. Last Embers Verse I

This poem is about the pain of watching someone loved so very much just slowly fade away.

11. In His Hands

This was just how I felt when I found out my dad had cancer, just my thoughts and feelings.

12. The Greatest Loss

This poem is about a man watching his wife fade away due to Alzheimer's Disease

13. Past, Present, Future

I never go to sleep at night without the fear that tomorrow may bring pain. This is life as an Epileptic.

14. My Father

A boy watches his father in wallow in sickness. He is torn between his desire for his father to escape the pain, and his desire to continue to see his father live.

15. Suffering Up Close

16. A Forgotten Life

17. Let Me Go

This poem is about someone - a mother who is ill and just wants to be released from her children and husband to float away to another, better world. These are her thoughts...

18. My Pain

This poem basically tells the story. I have been to 4 different sets of doctors and now I'm going to my 5th. They don't really know what's wrong with me, but that’s okay. I know they will. That is my one hope. Thanks to all my friends and my family for being there for me. I LOVE YOU GUYS!

19. Grandma

As her grandmother lays sick, she pleads to her to hold on and live to get better for there are so many whom she is precious to.

20. Fading

I've worked in care for about 20 years, mainly with people who have dementia. This poem is based on some of the things I've experienced.