poem

MasksWe all should wear the mask,To filter the things we cannot see.Not so much to keep things outBut to corral what tries to flee.I aim to protect others from foul exhalation.I try to be a good citizen,Averse to the idea of contaminating others;We are all responsible for our own pollution.I am running my errands under the guise of cloth;Grocery store, dry cleaners, gas station.You can only see my eyes,This furtive silence is a new banditry,Passing coins and cards under plexiglass shields.I enjoy not being seen in plain sight.The dead air trapped in front of my faceIs warm fetid discomfort, but mine alone.Anonymous suffering is perhaps a way to atone.We can always kneel and pray for expiationBut that ’s not the same as forgiveness,Which is too personal, too intimate:Usually requires an element of touch,And inevitably ends in a kiss.But I ’ve pinched the wire downOver the bridge of my noseAnd centered the mask over my lips.5/22/20

Source: Buckeye Surgeon - May 22, 2020 Category: Surgery Authors: Jeffrey Parks MD FACS Source Type: blogs