Life In A Wheelchair
By Jabo
@jaboUK (64354)
United Kingdom
February 15, 2016 6:07pm CST
She sits alone in numb despair
Cares are on her brow,
Her fate it is so hard to bear,
''Who will love me now?''
She'd been such fun, was fit and strong,
Received a cruel blow,
And even though she is still young,
''Who will love me now?''
Her body now so bent and broken,
No-one comes to woo,
She doesn't cry, but words unspoken
''Who will love me now?''
She had been bright and beautiful,
Her smile would make you glow,
Then from her horse she had a fall,
''Who will love me now?''
And so she sits in such despair
Trying not to show,
But who will see beyond that chair?
Who will love her now?
Original poem by Jabo
61 people like this
60 responses
@allknowing (135943)
• India
16 Feb 16
You know what. She should learn to love herself and when she does that what others can do will fade into insignificance.
*Oh no! My record player is not working today and so I will say it differently. There is a corner somewhere on the Internet specially meant for great poets. Better find that corner. 
6 people like this
@allknowing (135943)
• India
16 Feb 16
@jaboUK You had a real person in mind and that I did not know. 
Actually there are cases where one does get romantically involved in situations such as this.
Actually there are cases where one does get romantically involved in situations such as this.4 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@allknowing But it's nearly always the other way round - man in a wheelchair, able bodied lady.
2 people like this
@allknowing (135943)
• India
16 Feb 16
@jaboUK There was a case here not many years ago when my friend's daugher divorced her husband when she realised he was suffering from cancer
1 person likes this
@glenniah (1197)
• Mandurah, Australia
17 Feb 16
Amazing story within the poem Jabo. Reminds me of a story they told me in the hospital when my husband had his first stroke. It is a movie and incredibly moving, called Diving Bell and Butterfly.
May be a bit of a segue but your poem reminded me of this
2 people like this
@celticeagle (166672)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Feb 16
Very stirring poem. I hope this person realized there are other things in life and love is all around.
3 people like this
@celticeagle (166672)
• Boise, Idaho
16 Feb 16
@jaboUK ...My first known experience with plagiarism on here.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@celticeagle Yes, she lived as full a life as she was able,though she was almost completely dependent on others.. She used to say ''It's only my body that doesn't work - not my brain or my mouth''.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
18 Feb 16
@Daljinder Nope - there are a lot of like-minded people around, so it's not too surprising when someone else says what we are thinking.
2 people like this
@ricki_911 (21625)
• Toronto, Ontario
16 Feb 16
Wow that is well written. I can see having disabilities and the feeling of being lonely. But also those people don't deserve the time of day.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@ricki_911 I gather that you mean that the people who don't love her don't deserve the time of day? Actually people did love her, but no-one romantically.
2 people like this
@marguicha (222759)
• Chile
16 Feb 16
@jaboUK I did not understand what the friend meant by "those people".
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
Surprisingly people with disabilities work even harder to make a go of it rather than sit back and let life pass them by! A nice poem Janet.
2 people like this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
16 Feb 16
Awe, so sad. She will stop feeling bad and realize life is good even in a wheel chair. Please do another post and make her happy...
Never mind I just noticed some comments. It is sad she never had someone to love her while in the chair...
Never mind I just noticed some comments. It is sad she never had someone to love her while in the chair...2 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@PainsOnSlate She never found someone who loved her romantically since she'd been in the chair, though she'd been engaged before her accident.
Fortunately they had split some time before - I say fortunately because, as she said herself, she wouldn't have wanted him to stay with her out of pity.
2 people like this
@Shiva49 (26661)
• Singapore
16 Feb 16
A moment is enough being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I know one who was still young when it happened. He was wearing seat-belt inside a cab when another vehicle hit from behind and that resulted in him wheelchair bound for many years now and needs constant care. Life is indeed so unpredictable and we take much for granted - siva
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
16 Feb 16
So lovely and sad and very well written @Jabo- I could be her if they don't fix my hip and then maybe the other- but at least it happened later in life and I have lots of confidence all will be well. See- you're not jsut a limericist or limerick-ist you're a poet and didn't know it- haha! like I was. Although I won't hold my breath for the grand prize- lol!. Very good!
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 16
@MarymargII They say my other one needs doing too, but I'm not in too much pain with it, so I'll wait until I am. The one I had done is great - I can walk well with no pain.
1 person likes this
@MarymargII (12422)
• Toronto, Ontario
17 Feb 16
@jaboUK How's all that with you- You were a trooper getting it done- I'm on the list and waiting for the call -gulp- Lucky you had only one altho they say I'd have to wait a year for the other one if it has to be done. :)
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222759)
• Chile
16 Feb 16
A beautiful poem! Many times I have wondered how would my life have been if I had lived 50 years before my time. I had a back surgery 20 years ago and if the surgery hadn´t been done, I would have had to be in a wheel chair.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (222759)
• Chile
16 Feb 16
@jaboUK I know. One of my best friend who is no more on earth, had so many discapacities that she lived in pain. Still she was the bravest person I have seen.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@marguicha You were lucky in that you were saved from life in a wheelchair. Nothing could be done for my friend as her neck was too badly broken, resulting in paralysis.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@marguicha Something like this sometimes brings out an inner strength from somewhere - believe me, they need it.
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
17 Feb 16
This reminded me of a lady I know who fought against having to use a wheelchair. Eventually her husband's arm was no longer enough and she accepted that she needed the chair. She found a new life for herself in that wheelchair, took up handicapped sports and encouraged others to do the same thing. She has established a group of others now and is a high flyer. Not bad for someone confined to a wheelchair!
1 person likes this
@41CombedaleRoad (5952)
• Greece
17 Feb 16
@jaboUK Your friend was a very courageous woman and must have been an inspiration to both the able bodied and the handicapped people she came into contact with.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
17 Feb 16
A wheelchair is a marvellous aid to people with walking difficulties, and the wheels can become their 'legs'. I gather that the lady you are talking about has the full use of her arms? - That makes such a difference.
My friend was almost completely paralysed and could only move one arm - even then she had no use of her fingers so could not grip or hold anything. So sports were out for her.
However she did do skydiving and scuba diving while attached to an instructor.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
16 Feb 16
This is a beautiful written poem. My mom needed a wheelchair for most of my life. When I was young she was able to get around more with just special made crutches. However as time went on she was unable to get very far without her wheelchair nearby.
She was always so fun loving and optimistic but then the years seemed to take that away from her somewhat as well. She passed away a few years back.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104628)
• United States
16 Feb 16
@jaboUK I could not imagine being almost completely paralyzed and relying on others. I would be so lost most of the time as I am very independant.
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum I know - most of us cannot imagine a life like this.
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
16 Feb 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum The girl I'm talking about here was almost completely paralysed, but like your mom, she retained her spirit.
1 person likes this
@Inlemay (17713)
• South Africa
22 Feb 16
Oh this is such a wonderful poem - While I was in Swakopmund I went to visit the sister of a bowling friend of mine's, who lives with two leg amputations, in pain from Arthritis, and depressed. she is lifted every day into her wheelchair and when I read your poem, I saw her face. I have a photo but dont think it appropriate to show it here. You have great insight to someone's feeling in a wheelchair - - - ?
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
13 Mar 16
That was a tear jerker! Must ask, but was there anything that inspired you to write this one? Like was this based on someone you know etc
1 person likes this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
14 Mar 16
@VivaLaDani13 Why feel bad? I wouldn't have written about her if it was too senstive a subject for me to discuss.
Despite everything she was a very positive person, just concentrating on what she could do, not what she couldn't. She succumbed to pneumonia as her body wasn't strong enough to fight it off. She was 54 and had been in her wheelchair since she was 31.
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
14 Mar 16
@jaboUK I'm very sorry. I feel bad for asking now.
1 person likes this
