I’ll fight till the very end-
Not mine but yours, for humankind
The deaths I witnessed,
no war though declared
Heart-rending, untimely
Gasping helplessly
Masked he for oxygen
And I for prevention
Beneath his, is an end, impending
and mine, is a hope shattering
Febrile, but surroundings cold,
as caregivers’ emotions concealed
Someone’s last breath I count
One more crashing patient
Pages overhead
for responses rapid, another one coded
Intubations a dozen
Worthless go attempts on resuscitation
This virus potent we don’t beat
though put a hell of an effort
Families FaceTiming
to reunite with loved ones praying
sick, short of breath
succumb to a lonely death
Oh so unkind, oh so malicious
Lives slipping away from my hands
Last chances to meet deprived
Bodies in isolation buried
Devastated we, with your ruthlessness
The more I’m hurt, more my resilience
I won’t burnout
I’ll wear you out
I’ll fight till the very end-
-Not mine, but yours, for humankind
-Pallavi Aneja MD
NotesOfADrMom 