Fred Andrle

To My Father | Poetry, 1985

When my father was in his early eighties, he suffered a disabling stroke. He had to spend much of his day in bed, but he had enough strength and mobility to sit at his desk and to walk down the bedroom hall with the aid of a walker. I was struck by his dignity, calm, and contentment in this difficult state. I wrote this poem "To My Father, Empowered by a Stroke," to speak further about my awareness. Kenyon College artist Karen Snouffer painted "Ceremony of the Razor" in response to my poem.

Fred is a member of member of the Medicine and The Arts Board and the Hospital Poets.