Tag: photography

A Memorial Day From Hell

Carl Setzer
Viewing south from Harborview
Viewing to the south from Seattle’s Harborview hospital

An ICU Haiku:

At the very top
A view south of Seattle
The ICU’s noise

My family came home yesterday evening after a few days in Seattle’s Harborview hospital. This is the highest level trauma center for a good portion of the western US. My son’s skateboarding accident Monday afternoon resulted in a skull fracture, bleeding on his brain and a concussion. Hence our stay at a level 1 trauma center.

We’re home now, really just starting the long road of healing before us. It’s amazing to many of us how quickly we got here. A huge help: his helmet. The trauma was significantly mitigated by it. Several doctors and nurses told us it saved his life. Talk about sobering.

As we continue down this I will keep in mind how close we came to life altering calamity. When I feel frustrated about the caregiving, his surliness (a warning from the nurses)…all the elements of a head injury with months/years-long recovery, I will focus on how close we came to losing everything. I’m lucky: I brought my son home.

Walking along the shore

Carl Setzer3 Comments

Walking in the night
Enjoying this graceful scene
Of the moon’s ascent

One of my favorite places is the waterfront in Edmonds, about 30 miles north of Seattle. I adore walking along the shore. Even tonight in the cold, though there were moments of striking clarity.

Exploring Downtown Seattle

Carl Setzer1 Comment

My home was once there
The outward shape is still there
And yet, it’s transformed

Walking these old streets
Visions of dirty concrete
Echoes of our past

Grime and poverty
Once marked these streets with their truth
Now airbrushed away

Walking with dear friends
Explorations of this past
Amongst my future