Biplab Adhikari
Louisville, Kentucky, United States

A regular day, it’s time for work,
News of a virus, where shadows lurk.
No treatment, no vaccine, no known fix,
Symptoms vague, it’s all in the mix.

Don a mask, the silent plea,
Will this new case find its way to me?
At work, I change, suit up tight,
Double mask, face shield, ready for the fight.

In the ER, the handover’s done,
A relief for some, but my worry’s begun.
No new case yet, but the day is young,
Treating patients, the songs unsung.

A siren’s wail, it pierces through,
The first new case, the nightmare’s true.
Feet like lead, drenched in sweat,
Isolation room, the patient I’ve met.

Oxygen low, saturation at eighty,
Symptomatic care, fever burns so quickly.
An hour later, relief a bit,
Test results, positive hit.

Day’s end comes, shield comes off,
Thoughts of infection start to scoff.
Family in mind, a worried thread,
To protect them, I’ll isolate instead.

Inform my loved ones, a room to prepare,
Their worried faces, a heavy stare.
Direct to my room, to my bed I go,
Tomorrow’s duty, sleep takes hold.

Silent struggles, the healer’s fight,
In the shadows, through the night.
A day in the life, a battle unseen,
Hopes and fears in the spaces between.