Masks of An Emergency
The siren reels coming into the hospital bay,
Emergency staff run, a “Code 4” on the way,
Staff know that it is a serious situation,
A person in distress is coming to this location.
Out of the ambulance, a stretcher is rolled,
The patient sitting upright, wrapped from the cold.
Pale and clammy with lips and fingernails blue,
The patient is restless not knowing what to do.
A feeling of claustrophobia makes them seethe
The oxygen mask is really helping them breathe,
Confusion is common when your oxygen is low,
The patient pulls at their mask, they don’t know
The staff wear their mask of calm and control,
The patient wants them to save their soul,
Constant reassurance and underlying disease care,
Help make the patient more alert and aware
Underneath it all, staff are really scared,
Saving another person, they have been dared,
With improvement in breathing, off come the masks,
The patient survives and staff return to their tasks.
Written by Lee Ramage
July 15, 2011
For “It’s Mask Time” contest by Nette Onclaud
Won 8th Place
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