PAD Day 30: Tribute to a Health Care Worker

Today's prompts from Poetic Asides and NaPoWriMo: (1) Write a poem of praise, and (2) write a poem about something or someone returning. This is not about a person that I know, although I did have my niece in mind, who is a nurse, and whom I learned recently is working the COVID-19 units. So as a tribute to her and all the health care workers literally putting their lives on the line every day, I offer this tribute:

Warrior

All praise to you, nurse,

medic on the battle lines.

Every day you suit up in PPE,

shuttle from ER to ICU,

and tend to the suffering.

You save many, but watch some die.

For those whose families

are not allowed to come,

you hold their phone for face time

so they can say goodbye.

It's all you can do

to keep from crying yourself.

It's all you can do

to strap on the mask again

and push yourself forward.

You are exhausted.

you say hello to your kids

through the storm door glass

on your back patio.

Then you go out again.

You finish another long shift,

strip your mask and face shield,

gloves and gown,

take a long shower

and try to sleep a little.

Day after day,

you pass gurneys in the hall,

beeping monitors,

ventilators pumping,

and you soldier on.

You've been doing it for a month

or longer, then one morning

you're not feeling well

and take your temperature -

one hundred and one.

Luckily, it's a mild case -

a few days in bed, then

two weeks in quarantine,

and you're ready to return.

Once again, you dress for work.

A row of colleagues claps you in.

Back on the floor,

in PPE battle gear,

you shuttle from ER to ICU,

and tend to the suffering.