Ten minute window – active withdrawal
You tiny little thing
You don’t look like the rest of us
Born dysmorphic
In a ruthless world
Where appearances matter
Still we will leave it to chance or fate
Call it what you will
Because we believe in life
And we deal in hope and faith
Yet
Holoprosencephaly sequence
Is almost a death sentence
Was it okay to tell your parents to
Terminate you back then
Is active withdrawal the way to go
Either way
I think you’re the cutest little one
A bit different I agree
But your heart, though malformed
Beats all the same!
……
Post active withdrawal
Make sure the ambulance is ready
With an ample o2 supply
Mom needs to see
I know you wont make it
I know that you wont
But chance and gamble
Isn’t that what they all say
About an average life
Yours is way more precious
Because the seconds count
Tell that to those that waste time
Not in moments or hours
But in weeks and months
Ten minutes is all you will have
We will play along any way
But the heart breaks
To envision you
Gasping in the arms
Of your father as he rushes
To take you to your mom
Or would it be in the backseat
Of your ambulance
Or will you, resilient you,
Make it against all odds
And breathe your last
In the bosom where peace emanates
Where love originates
Will you make it to your mom?
DISCLAIMER: Copyright belongs to the author. This blog cannot be held responsible for events bearing overt resemblance to any actual occurrences. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of CCIT or AKU.
About the Author
Harboring a love for language, Areeba believes in words as being the surest means of expression. A pediatrician by profession she enjoys reading and writing whenever time allows. Her experiences as a resident doctor have played a big role in her writing, which can be found on her blog on WordPress. She has had some of her poems published in journals across the US. Apart from wanting to make an impact through her work, she secretly wishes to live in a world where she can hibernate with her favorite books a few months each year, and get paid for doing that.
