Cardiac Arrest
By Jill Hairsine
Waking up in hospital, I could not recall
What happened, had I had a fit, or p’raps a nasty fall?
“A heart attack,” my anxious husband told me with relief,
“You’ve been asleep for three days” – I knew then I’d brought such grief
To all my family and friends. I started then to think
Of all the worry that I’d caused while I’d been on the brink…
I’d almost died, a close, close shave, I might have been no more…
This thought then filled my fuzzy head and shocked me to the core.
I’d had no pain, no symptoms, it was quite out of the blue.
Too young, at sixty, just retired, I simply had no clue.
Then as I gazed out from my bed and saw the trees and sky,
I felt such gratitude to God, that He hadn’t let me die.
I might not have seen another dawn, or stars up overhead,
Might not have grown another flower or dug my veggie bed.
My brain’s not quite as sharp now, and my memory’ s got some blanks,
But when I think about my heart attack, I end up giving thanks
That I’m still here, with time to heal – life won’t be quite the same.
Yet…more precious, valued, treasured my life that day became.
