Four white walls and a ceiling light defined my scenic view br A small TV on a pull out arm and a picture quite askew br Old tan spreads and thin white sheets were thrown about the bed br And fell in heaps about my feet like a puffy thunderhead br br My dancing partner beeped at me with menacing alarm br With four small wheels and a steel gray shaft and an IV in my arm br Instead of shirts and pants and shoes I simply wore a gown br With knotted straps and broken snaps like a frightful hand-me-down br br How ludicrous I must have looked while standing at the door br Like some great driftwood log all worn and washed up on the shore br Or an aging statue pitted by the winds along the sea br Barely recognizable as what it used to be br br I recall my precious youth and good times that I had br Pursuing life with courage like a reborn Gallihad br But I survived the worst of it and I am here to say br With great appreciation I thank God for every daybr br Richard Lackmanbr br