Yesterday i watched a man get lungs
He had no lungs
We gave him lungs
Or rather the surgeon
Gave him lungs
A brilliant man
With thready thumbs
That work on as the ECMO hums
And vitals steady sum
Held the scalped as a paintbrush
Deftly
Gently
ease
And care
And His instruments his paintbrush
As if no one else was there
never seen man
Use his pinky
Used to stabilize the blade
guess id not seen dedication
Never seen a man afraid
And yet despite his fear was confidence
Was pride of pallid prayer
As he marched on to the morrow
For the patient lying there
‘Hey, lets focus on the patient’
‘Time spent
made up
Somewhere else’
And i felt bad for the fellow
jaw was twitching
Conscious self
He was nice and he was bright and
he was gifted
To be sure
For i had Watched him suture
Watched his talent just before
But talent isn't vital
In the trenches
On the floor
No your talent leaves you naked
In the battlements of war
And i felt worse for the patient
And i felt the surgeon’s right
Even then as fellow trembled
Fellow tailored through the night
And the surgeon made him stronger
Harder
Readied him to fight
And the fellow he was armored
Scared and shitting far from sight
‘Don’t waste time
Think of the patient
My record’s 60 minutes
Time"
"Time’s a ticking
Just get on with it"
Minutes life-
times on the line
And yet on the clock was ticking
And yet the patient, he survived
Survived to breathe again tomorrow
Breathe and beat and think in time
He will breathe again tomorrow
Genius bore him
Air in rhyme
And he's breathing
And his life breath
Surgeon sutures.
Close him.
Time.
