poem

 Airway

You must first establish an airway

When your throat swells up tight

And your eyes bulge, sclera-cracked.

It’s as basic as the ABCs.

You won’t stay alive

If the air can’t get through,

Your skin will turn a shadow blue.

Induction creates a stillness

That gives me a chance to work,

To slide a tube past the cords,

To open a space for you to breathe.

It’s a temporary life line

To buy us some time

Until you are ready to re-take the wheel.

Breathing is one thing.

But speaking is quite another.

The words arise from the inside

And I can’t control

How the exiting air vibrates

When the tube is out.

The words that form are for you to decide.

I'll listen to your chest

Via a stethoscope placed over your heart.

The rhythm is clear,

You aren’t going anywhere.

But that's not enough.

The sounds I’m waiting to hear

Have to pass through your lips

10/25/20