“Behind the ache, the pain, the flinching, the fear and the uncertain heartbeat, there is a gentle, knowing smile, a wry chuckle even, a salve for old wounds. Hospitals have the capacity to refine your thinking. Generally speaking there are only two ways out. In her delightfully insightful way, Harris shows us a possible third: ‘Part of me is desperately trying to have an out of body experience'.”
– Ben Brown, Landfall Review
“We feel the mood of the ward, sense the fear underlying the casual comment, rejoice in the kindness of staff and wish the tea lady could get a break. The reader is left with a sense of a time and place, and an experience deeply felt.”
– Jenny Bornholdt, poet
Distributor: Nationwide
Format: Pb 82 pp
ISBN: 9780473405793
Email: books@nationwidebooks.co.nz
my wide white bed
My wide white bed is a poignant journey through the swells and up draughts of recovery, where hope and humour are never far away. It captures the small but significant interactions with hospital staff and other patients, from the moorings of a wide, white bed, during a prolonged stay in the hospital after orthopaedic surgery. The simple yet beautifully crafted poems make this a book everyone can appreciate – readers and non-readers of poetry alike.
Trish Harris’s first collection of poetry follows the success of her memoir, The Walking Stick Tree (2016).
Also available as an ebook on Amazon.