Thread by @MyTweetSelf

Alright FELLOW PARENTS, LISTEN UP.

I have had ENOUGH. And i know you probably have too.

Yes, I am talking about the repeat trauma in Chicago yesterday, on a day that was supposed to celebrate the joy of living in this great nation. 1/N

Each death was a preventable casualty, if only WE had acted a little bit swifter. A little bit sooner.

Adninistration will only ever have data on deaths. Deaths and open wounds, the number treated for the wounds that bleed openly?
2/n

But what about the unseen wounds? The wounds in babes too small to express their grief in words? The wounded hearts of all the people left destroyed and heartbroken with the TRAGIC. UNNESCESSARY loss of their loved ones?
3/n

The scars that will awaken when people, old and young. Child and parent, are forced to cross through the site of yesterday's SENSELESS PREVENTABLE MASS MURDER to get on with their lives, their livelihoods?
4/n

This is UNSPEAKABLE TRAUMA that our generation has been unneccessarily, ruthlessly EXPOSED TO. OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.

And it is ONLY OUR SOCIETY.
You might think, by the way gund have been so non urgently handled, that all societies would work like this.
5/n

That there was no hope for us.

You would be wrong

It is possible, indeed CRUCIAL to take guns off our streets.

Australia has done it. CANADA has done it. Heck, even Mexico who the orange felt would overtake our society had done it.
6/n

Gun control and guns off our streets is not impossible. IT IS JUST PLAIN OLD COMMON SENSE!!!!

THEY will NOT understand it.
They, our elected officials, who are obliged to answer to the NRA for the money being thrown at them, will not TRULY understand OUR heartbreak...
7/n

the heartbreak of daily living, in conditions of permanent stress.

Worrying about making sure you say the most complete goodbyes EVERYDAY to your loved ones before putting them on their tiny school buses because you never know IF AND WHEN you will ever see them again.

8/n

This heartbreak. This pain. It is all FOREIGN to those people in suits who will bathe in the BLOOD MONEY the NRA throws in their faces, and use some of that BLOOD MONEY to send their kids to the HIGHEST SECURITY schools, equipped with the latest Gun violence prevention.
9/n

And heck, maybe even more guns.

The heartbreak of public school parents, who rely and depend on the kindness and graciousness of beloved teachers and custodians IS NOWHERE on the minds of these politicians with BLOOD on their hands.
10/n

And it is so CRAZY to me that even though we KNOW that our kids teachers would do EVERYTHING in their power to protect our little one, ISNT IT ALL SO MUCH SENSELESS THAY WE EVEN PLACE SUCH AN EXPCTATION ON THEM?

WHAT ARE WE DOING?
WHAT THE HECK ARE WE DOING?

11/n

HOW LONG DO WE STAY HELPLESS HOPELESS PUPPETS AND TOUT THE VIRTUES SET FORTH BY SLAVE OWNING, WOMEN SUPPRESSING MEN, JOTED DOWN IN A HURRY IN A CENTURY WHERE AUTOMATED GUNS DID NOT EVEN EXIST????

WHAT ARE WE DOING?
WHAT THE HECK ARE WE DOING?

12/n

WHY ARE WE OKIE TO TAKE ON THIS MENTAL STRAIN, DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND LIVE SHORTER, SCARIER LIVES DUE TO THE EVER PRESENT THREAT OF BEING KILLED BY A FELLOW HUMAN BEING WIELDING A DEADLY PLAYTHING HE HOPES WILL HELP RELIEVE HIS "STRESS" BROUGHT
13/n

ON BY OUR SOCIETY'S ABJECT NEGLECT OF NEED FOR APPROPRIATE MENTAL CARE?

IF SHOUTING FROM ROOFTOPS WOULD HELP, I WOULD. I AM BUT ONE, BUT I AM SO DONE.

I NEED CHANGE.

WE NEED CHANGE

14/n

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE THAT WE CONTINUE TO LIVE THIS HORROR STORY UNTIL THE LAST ONE OF US SNAPS.

WE NEED CHANGE

WE NEED TO TAKE GUNS OFF OUR STREETS

AND WE NEED TO DO THAT NOW.

NOW.

NOT THIS EVENING.

NOT TOMORROW.

NOT NEXT WEEK.

15/n

EVERY MOMENT YOU WAIT IT OUT IN THE NAME OF THE SECOND AMENDMENT, YOU WILL BE WASTING YOUR FIRST.

AND YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS.

ISNT IT IRONIC?

16/n

I CAME TO THIS COUNTRY SEEKING TO LIVE A BETTER LIFE, AND I NOW HAVE NOTHING IN MY THOUGHTS BUT HOW TO HELP MY FAMILY SURVIVE THE NEXT UNSTABLE PERSON WHO ENDS UP ABLE TO LAND A GUN EASIER THAN ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH CARE.

17/n

MY ENTIRE BEING IS CONSUMED BY THESE THOUGHTS, AND YOURS SHOULD BE TOO.

18/n

@POTUS I believe in you. I Know you are busy, but this is important. This is LIFE and DEATH.

You are a parent.
You are Dr Biden are loving parents.

I am but a crazy physician, living paycheck to paycheck, loving my amazing job and my most amazing colleagues and patients.
19/

@POTUS I am privileged to have had the honor to receive the excellent world class training in healthcare your country gave me. I will forever be grateful for the power if that training.
But you dear sir, you HAVE the power.

Please, I beg of you, kind sir.
20/n

Let me go back to being just ME. An unremarkable IMG. A crazy, loving mom, a nagging wife and a super stressed out intensivist who just cant finish rounds ever on time cuz she yaps a lot- drunk with the luxury of the most amazing work family.
21/n

@POTUS Please dear sir, i beg of you to take the right step. Be unconventional. Be bold. Tell the NRA to shove jt where the sun dont shine.

Get guns OFF OUR STREETS.
End this senseless nonsense now...

22/N

Before we add again to the tally, the names of our loved ones, written in the blood of our loved ones.

I PROMISE YOU, History will remember you for this BOLD move.

LET US ALL GO BACK TO LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER- TRULY HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

@POTUS, thank you for your time.❤

@threadreaderapp unroll

@TheRealDoctorT
@gradydoctor
@nicupodcast
@NICU_Musings
@IDdocAdi
@hilarykatem
@AshleyGWinter
@AvrahamCooperMD
@marklewismd
@DoctorDaphnaMd
@DrLongissimus
@DGlaucomflecken
@samsfeelinggood
@LadyDoctorSays
I need your help. I do not have your reach.

Plz share, help!

@medtwitter
This is our lane.

We need to step up AND step it up.

Now.

Now, before it is too late.

We cannot advocate for our patients solely when they present with mortal wounds.

We need to up our game.

NOW IS THE TIME.

And it is ALREADY TOO LATE.

GET ON WITH IT, WILL U

#medtwitter
#nursingtwitter
#psychiatry
#mentalhealth
#NeoTecan
#AAP
#ThisIsOurLane
#EndGunViolence
#EndGunViolenceNow
#GunsOffOurStreets
#EnoughIsEnough
#NRAIsATerroristOrganization
#NRABloodMoney
#NRAWhereIsYourHumanity
#MomsDemandAction
#SandyHookPromise
#UvaldeMassacre

Dear human being I have never met, but on the twittersphere... I dont quite understand how twitter works. This is my plea in an attempt to maintain sanity.
For far too long, I have shared my hard earned, well taxed money with organizations working to end gun violence and...

Get guns off ours streets.

I have raised my hopes each time guns were mentioned as part of policy change.

I have high hopes and the utmost faith in the resilience of the American People. But they NEED our help. I need your help.

Change comes at points in history when the status quo can no lomher support survival. This is the tipping point.

This is that moment in history we have been waiting for.

I know, deep in my heart, that ALL human beings want are to live happily ever after. I know you do too.

I have seen social media achieve great things. It is my hope that Gun Violence and getting guns out of our streets is achievable- with the right amount of organizing and the right amount of social pressure.

This will be the greatest change our generation could effect in the lives of the american people.

I do not mean to incite any violence or ill will. I disagree with Mahatma Gandhi in a lot of different issues, but I do believe he got the Ahimsa part right.

What good is any victory if you end up hurting a fellow human being? All i want to is be be able to enjoy this wonderful country without worrying about the safety of my friends and family.

If you are an influencer, activist, organizer of ANY kind, grassroots or otherwise, please press on with your mission to end gun violence. We are looking to you. And we will answer in numbers that are far too massive to deny the dissent over gun violence in this country.

Guns are not a red state issue or a blue issue. They are not a democrat issue or a republican issue. They are not a Christian Issue or an Atheist Isaue.

Gun violence is a very HUMAN ISSUE.

Gun Violence is a PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.

AND at this time in history, we are at the crossroads of 2 very dangerous epidemics.

Gun violence and Deteriorating Mental Health.

We can do it

We can do it TOGETHER.

WE NEED TO HOLD OUR LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE.

WE NEED PROTECTION

WE ARE HUMANS.

WE DESERVE TO LIVE

AND DIE WHEN OUR TIME COMES.

NOT AT THE FANCY OF SOME FANATIC OR GUN WIELDING MENTALLY UNSTABLE FELLOW HUMAN BEING.

You wouldnt sit around Twiddling thumbs if your neurosurgeon told you that you have a giant aneurysm in your brain that will rupture at any time, that it needs immediaye surgery, would you?

Or that you have a brain tumor that is very Operable, but will kill you in minutes when you least expect it to if you dont take this one pill. NO, RIGHT?

Sure, that pill may be bitter.
That pill may be HUGE.

BUT I can promise you, You Will RACE your ass out of your comfy cushioned office chair and be under the knife in a jiffy.

You will be looking at the world's best surgeons and you will cross verify if they are indeed going to treat you well.

We have a disease.
It is called senseless gun violence.

We have a pill, a surgery.
It is called taking guns away from people who are not legally mandated to have one.

This surgery has been done multiple times in multiple countries by multiple surgeons.

The effect of this surgery has been thoroughly, extensively, EXHAUSTIVELY STUDIED

AND THIS SURGERY HAS NO SIDE EFFECTS, OTHER THAN THE BRUISED EGOS OF SOME MEGALOMANIACS.

Would you do this surgery?

Yes, thats what I thought too.

Let's get going.

@AOC You dont know me, but I know you. You are, like me, a woman. And a woman of color, who was offered the opportunity to rise to greatness and serve. I admire you, truly and deeply.

The ball is in your court

@AOC
I saw news that you got engaged. I am so happy for you, congratulations!

I know you already feel the pain.

But
Someday, if you ever make the decision to have a child, either of your own blood or through adoption, you will gain the realization that the pain and agony is a million times worse.

It is like your heart is walking outside your body, picking up dandelions and throwing pebbles into the river and opening your eyes up to the vast beauty of life.

Now imagine that heart having to put on tiny clothes and carry a tiny bag and walk into a tiny bus to go off to a tiny school so he can have a chance at building a beautiful future ,

and you can have a chance at your sanity and your career and bringing home the bacon or broccoli, as you please.

The pain is a million times over.

I know you understand

There is NO hope for the world if people as compassionate and passionate as you do not understand.

You got this.

Please do your best.

Please enact effective change.

I am only a dumb crazy doctor, I do not understand the complex politics that led your great nation here.

But you do.

So please, MAKE IT HAPPEN.
GET GUNS OFF OF OUR STREETS.
I Believe in You.

You can do it.

And in case something happens to me, know that I love you, and I adore you, and you have been an inspiration and a comfort of the highest level.

One woman to another, I salute you.

Now let's go make a ruckus.

@threadreaderapp unroll

@NYCMayor Eric Adams, you are inspirational. You "get stuff done"

Please think outside the box.

Please work across the board to end this senselessness.

We trust in you.

We know you can do it.

Show them how its done.

You got this.

@Lin_Manuel you are the only artist I actually know.

I biked 40 miles around NYC for the the TD 5 Borough Bike Tour, badly rapping the exact lyrics to Hamilton in the sorest of singing voices that my asthma afforded me.

I have always dreamt of seeing Hamilton.
Fresh, on Broadway
Maybe even grab
A bite to eat
After
Oh to be able to witness the endless energy that I can only imagine marks your passionate performance of Hamilton, and all things that you have made golden with your touch.

I come to you today, seeking your help, in hopes that you will answer.

I am but one.
But,
I am young, scrappy and hungry.

I am
A fellow parent
In the greatest city of the world.

And this,
We have in common.

It was a whole long shot in the dark
That got this
Meek little girl
Who grew up in a 1 room DV shelter
To her current dream of a life in NYC.

And I am not giving away my SHOT.

Oh the irony of the pun.

Yes. Of course.

I could easily chose
To up myself by the roots once again
Settle myself down at the first place where I land.

I am strong willed,
and
Thanks in particular to the great training

I had the great opportunity to undergo in this nation,
Somewhat particularly skilled in my sphere of work.

All my life I have not lived in a place for more than a few years.

It would not be the slightest bit difficult for me
To UP and OUT.

I could do that in a jiffy if I wanted to.
I am a wildflower.
I am certain I will THRIVE anywhere.
Rocks, Crevices, deep Underground Caves
On a grain of sand.

And I am
A tardigrade
I will survive through anything
Absolutely ANYTHING
ANYONE can think of inflicting upon me

@Lin_Manuel I can choose to change my circumstances, simply by picking up my roots

And planting them elsewhere on planet Earth.

Pero, no.

No,
because
THAT is
NOT how
MY Momma raised me.
Let me tell you
About her
My momma was single.

You would look at her and think , "What a frail ol' lady"

And you would be wrong.

Very Very Very,

VERY WRONG.

My momma is tiny,
but she is fierce.
She is fearless.
She is a tempest
who willl fight
till her VERY
Last breath

For those she loves, for the oppressed, for people she has not met once in their lives, even for people who have gravely wronged her, if need be.

And she didnt raise me to run.

She raised me to stare at my fears and speak truth to power.

To use my words
to vehemently,
non violently,
Stand my ground.

My momma raised me right.

I am my momma's daughter

And recently
I noticed that
I am becoming my mom

It was not 'Uh Oh'
I am becoming my mom

It was a slow revelation
That dawned on me
Over days

Just as
My dear mother
Promised me
Once
You are
A mother
You will know
You will see
You will understand

I am becoming my mother-
A voice to reckon with
A voice that
Refuses to be silenced

Refuses to witness
Mass Murders
And Innocent Massacres

And Stay Silent
Or Shrug my shoulders
Or wring my hand
In silent agony

I will be anything
But silent

I will be
Dead
Before
I am
Quieted

I will fight

And I will get in good trouble
bad trouble
ANY kind of trouble
If it means that
My loved ones
Are kept safe.

It is a sacrifice I am more than willing to make

And from what little I know of you
And your very private family life
I am willing to bet my life
That
I know you will be
Willing
To make this sacrifice
For your family too

How do I know that, you ask?

Because
You
Care.

And because you are a parent.

Worrying to death
And sacrifice
Come with the territory
It is more than what you bargained for
But you will give, until your last breath.
Because you are
A parent

But you are more

A loving husband, a caring boss.

A fearless leader in your field

And on top of it all,

You are a bold, peerless creator.

And from my limited knowledge, You are a New Yorker

Part of the proud people
Who replaced
Another proud people
On an island

And who have managed
To turn this particular piece of land

This city
Surrounded on all sides
By rivers as restless
As our collective souls
Into the Greatest City in the World

Millions look up to you

I am but one of those millions.

I can write
I can cry
I can
Cry my eyes out as I write
Just as I do now

For as long as
My heart bleeds
I will write

I will write
Until I can no longer feel the tips of my fingers
And my brain stops bleeding

I will write
Until my last breath

My words, however
Are mine
Labelled as such

They belong
To an unnamed poor
Foreign physician
Of very little consequence

One who
Wouldnt even show up
On voting lists
For that
Is not a right
I have earned
Yet

One who had
Her fair
Share
Of
Go back to
Where
You
Came from

And these days
I wonder
Whether
Those people
Were just warning me
In code
Were they just
Worried for me
Did they know that I would find Better luck
In the land of my birth certificate.

And
What am I doing
Raising my kid
Here
Am I screwing up
The Parenting role

Dont get me wrong
I am amazed
Mesmerized
And I love
NYC
Truly, Deeply, Madly

For the Chance
It offered me not once,
but twice

To Bring alive my Dreams
Borne of sweat, blood, tears
And lots of albuterol
to Life

NYC taught me
All I know
Today
That helps me
Keep my
Babies Alive

Almost the entirety
Of my toolbox
Nay- my arsenal
and my armour
Took shape,
welded in the
furnace of NYC

I am a simpleton
The most
"Basic of Bitches"
What I want
is simple

I want you to
Know

There are babies
I struggle to save
Day in and day out
Restless nights
Far, far away
From the baby
Born of my blood

I want a promise
That
ALL my babies
Blood or otherwise
Will get to live
A full life

And die
When their time comes
And not a second sooner

I want a promise
That no
Mentally unstable person
With a death delivering device
Will cut their lives short
Or bother them
In their nightmares

I want a promise
That when I get home
After a long honest hard day's work
My kid will be home to see me
And so will the other love of my life
My husband
And that
I can focus
On healing all my babies
At work
And
At home

I want a promise
That my mother
Yes, that fierce femme fatale
who raised me
From below nothingness
To where I am today
I would be NOTHING without her

I want a promise
That she goes
When her time is up
And not a moment sooner

Not when she is stooped down
Enjoying the bliss that
gardening gives her
Nor when she is out and about
Exploring the world
Through the eyes of her precious grandson,
My precious son

Nor while shopping for
chocolate hommus
( I will never understand that culinary abomination)

Nor while sneaking in
A visit to the bake shop
With her grandson in tow
When her sweet tooth aches

Thinking she is being stealthy
That her pesky
insolent
controlling daughter
doesnt have to know
Forgetting that we have each other
Tagged on google maps

And I am watching her every move,
as the blue dot on my phone travels,
Marking her, unmistakably
enroute
From home
to Cannelle French Pattisserie

And while I sit at dinner table
And nod along to everything they say
As momma goes on in great detail
Of how they went straight to the Island Library after school
And didnt even breathe the air
From anywhere else

My son and I
Seated across from each other
Exchange knowing glances.

His says
" I'm sorry, I know you know,
and grammy made me do it
Plz tell me I am not in trouble"

Mine says
"Its okie, I love grammy,
and I love you too
More than anything
On heaven and earth
Nothing on the planet Earth can
Ever change that
All is forgiven, it is not even a fault to begin with

Hope you two had a good time
Now you better make up for the cannolis
and finish your veggies"

Nor when she is
Chatting the ear off of
the Bodega guy
While waiting
For her shish kebab platter
Side of salad, lots of red sauce
And a little bit of white

Nor when she is palpating
Percussing
And auscultating
Every SINGLE watermelon
At the
Weekly farmer's market
To determine
Which one
Was the luckiest
And gets the holy sacred privilege
Of going home with her

Nor when she is
Dropping my kid at school
Or picking him up
After a person with a gun
Infiltrates
Yet another
What we consider
"safe haven"
For children

Should such a nightmare
Ever come to pass
Again
Oh I can promise you
She will pick him up

I can promise you she will

Come hell or highwater
You can't prevent her
From doing what her mind is set on

I am my mother's daughter

And I am slowly
But surely
Becoming my mother

Proud,
Courageous
Questioning
Unwavering
Ever on the side
Of the Right
As her mind knows it

I am but one.
But I am my mother's daughter.

And I am SO Done.

Yes, My work is
never glamorous
( Atleast not in the traditional sense)

I would dare brag otherwise
But few would agree with me

The fellow humans
I have the privilege to serve
Come to me
Desperate
Sometimes
Stripped by the Society
That was intended to serve them
Of humanity
Of the power
To help themselves

Let alone
Help me
In my solo fight

They are the folks
Who wonder
How they will afford
To travel
To visit their baby
Who is sick
And valiantly,
but surely,
fighting death

How will I
Talk to you
A fellow parent
Divulges, eyes diverted
shame consuming her in
For no fault of hers
My phone bill
Was long overdue

What happens now
If something were
To happen to
My son
Struggling to take his breaths
Saved by the ventilator
And a 100 other meds
How will you get in touch with me
How will I make sure he is still
Alive

Yet another
Cries her heart out

She is here
All the way from Ghana
And she
Went into labor
Unexpected

And now
She has 3 babies
All small
All struggling
To survive
And no place
To rest her head

We all strive
To do our best

But sometimes
Our best
Is not enough

*CORRECTION
Most times
Our best
Is
Never Enough

My work is never glamorous
It is quiet
Except
The constant hum
Of the beeping Alarms
That
Alert me
That let me decide
Do I trust this baby

Or is he playing games with me
( I would say it is a fun, exciting game to play, until they play nasty and raise the stakes to life OR death)
Oh, and insert PSA here to never, ever, ever fully trust a premie
They are masters of deception.

They will lurk in the shadows, studying your every move, every chance they get, and then they try to get at you at the first sign you show of weakness or complete and absolute,in good faith, but ill- placed trust

What I am getting at
@Lin_Manuel
In the longest and most windest of ways
Is that
Your work,
Holds more gaze
Is infinitely more
Glamorous
Than mine ever will be

Your work garners
more eyes,
Inspires more souls,
Than mine ever can
Or ever will

No matter how hard I try
How loud I scream
My reach will always
Fall
Much much
Shorter than yours

I fight to keep babies living.

That is how I earn my paycheck.

I freaking LOVE my job.

But, like I said
We belong
On two separate spheres.

But there is one sphere
Where we collide

This sphere
filled
With concerned,
loving parents

Who hug their kids
Tighter each day

And cry their hearts out
After each Uvalde.

For of course
I know
There was but one
Uvalde

So far.

But if this is how it is
Guns walking our streets
Humans valued
Much much
less than meat

I know
That
You and I both
Can pretend ALL we want
But we can
no longer
Claim to be
Innocent
Bystanders
IF
WE DO
NOTHING
NOW

We will be RIGHT
THERE
Along with all the others
ACTIVELY enabling
The
Senseless Massacre
of our very own children

ON. A. DAILY. BASIS.

You and I both know
That Uvalde was NOT the last of it

We will not have not seen the last Uvalde
Until all guns are taken off
OFF off our Vibrant streets

You and I both
Were not born just yesterday

You and I both
We are NOT Naive

You and I both
We are NOT stupid

You and I both
We are NOT Numb

You and I both.
We are NOT insane

You and I both
Not just
Yet

You and I both
There is still
Some fight
Left in us

Fight with me
Let us fight
Together
Hand in hand

For the sake
Of your kid
And my kid
And ALL of OUR kids
In this planet
We call home

So that
Heaven and Sanity Forbid
Should YET another
Uvalde
Come to pass
At the very least
We could take a breath
And kiss our children goodbye
With our hearts ripped from our chests
One final time
Knowing that
we TRIED
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER.
KNOWING THAT, WE TRIED
OUR BEST

And did not standby
Enabling
The murderers of
Our Innocent
Babes

And still
Knowing
That sometimes, nay most times
When we do our best

Our best
Is
Still
Not
Enough

But
We have to start
Somewhere
And keep going

Until the last bloody gun
Leaves the streets of Neuva York
And then
One Glorious Day
We will
Celebrate
True Independence

In a nation
Free of guns
And
Senseless Murders

I plead of you
Parent to Parent
HELP ME, HELP US.

We are two different souls
But we carry within us
That common storyline
That has had quite a succesful run so far

Called Humanity
Called the Anxiety of
Being a Parent
In todays flaming-to-ashes society

And having to watch the world burn around us, wondering
Will the world be around
When it is time
For me
To be led
By the brilliant ideas
Of my brilliant kid
In his brilliant
footsteps?

You and I
Are worlds apart

Our singing voices belong
On two different planets
( Mine preferably belongs on one that has No atmosphere, and No Humans with working ear drums and/or auditory neuro-sensory systems- so no soul has to bear the torture of hearing it)

I can't dance on my own two legs for shite

And you,
On the other hand

You rule the stages
And conjure up magic
From hats with words

My point being

Your reach is WIDE
I can only reach
So few

Stand with me
Help me spread
The urgency of this message

Your voice
Inspires me
I have never been the same
Since the day I came across
Hamilton
And learnt
The story
Of how you
Conjured it
Out of thin air
And thought to myself

What a genius!
Que interesante!

Your reach is wide
And your voice
It will ring
A thousand times louder
Than
My most agonized screams

Use your voice
To uplift mine

To add strength
To mine

Until
The collective symphony
Of awakened parents
We inspire
Will take over the streets
One day

And
One day
Our streets
Will be clean

Of rivers
Of the blood
Of our innocent darling progenies.

And our Stores
Can stop stocking up
On
Little white shrouds
In sizes too small
To hold the vast
emptiness of our hearts

And our umpteen
Fever dreams
Put to rest
Long, long
Before
They were due.

Let our kids,
Be Kids

Not trauma experts
Nor active shooter drill seargents

Let them not lose their childhoods in
Scouting out the best hiding spots
Amongst their pillars of learning

To save their precious little lives
And rush home
To hug momma and dada
The sweetest of good nights
For one more day
Before they get to wake up
And live their nightmare
Day after day
On an endless
Nightmarish loop

Let them instead
Be kids
Who hide- and -seek
For the sole purpose
Of hiding-and-seeking

For fun

And not
For the

Ultimate reward
Of NOT being sent home
In a body bag

To the arms
Of their loving, heartbroken, parents

My whole existence is CONSUMED
by repeat, recurrent thoughts
On what needs to be done
To keep my kid safe
And
To keep my husband safe

Prescribe ANY narcotic the patient asks for, dont let anyone experience even the mildest post op pain, I urge him, shamelessly..
Of course, he will not listen to me.

He will stand by his ethics
And work with his patient

To ensure safe, sustainable pain relief, in the long and short term

I know my urging is wrong
But I am but one
And he is my one and only

And I refuse to sacrifice
The love of my life
At an altar built,
lit and maintained
By suits

Suits
Surrounded by more suits
Surrounded by more suits with guns
In their expansive million dollar golden
Real estates
With the utmost trained members
Of the nation's best trained
Military
Standing guard

Snipers
Guards
Intelligensia
Working round the clock
To protect them
While we the public
Forgetfully
Haplessly
Bear the monetary
burden of the salaries
And the ether salaries
Of the
Suits
And the suits that surround them
And the guns

And the guns
Held by the suits that surround the suits that surround the big suits
And
Their snipers
Their guards
And their
Intelligensia
Out of our
Personal coffers
Where the money
we last scraped together
Was
To buy that gigantic
bottle of tylenol

As we
Consciously
Put off
Visiting hospitals
Fearing "incidents"
And
Discrimination
And
Racism
And
The soul-crippling, soul-crushing
Weight
Of mysterious
Medical bills

Dumped on us
By insurances
To whom we pay
the rest of our blood money
We scraped up
From our personal coffers

So that they can make
A Russian Roulette
Out of healthcare

Beats me
Why
The great people
Of the
Greatest nation on earth
Would
Live
Mute
Unquestioning
In such
Cruel
Inhuman
Circumstances.

@Lin_Manuel
As i write this
I am taking deep breaths
To let the albuterol
Get into the
Farthest
Reaches of my lungs

Along with the steroids
Keeping me alive
While i struggle
To maintain sanity
In the bustling insanity
Of an emergency room
That has become
An unfortunate
But very familiar
Second home

Let my breath
Not be in vain

Let the words I type
18 G IV poking painfully
Into
my left
Elbow

And fighting my pulsox
Dangling from
My right hand
From messing with my touch
screen

Be not in vain

Kind sir

Let my plea
Not be
A lonely cry
In the darkness
That enshrouds
Our kids
And the Sunshine of their brilliant minds

Our tiny kids
On their tiny buses
Headed to their tiny schools
In search
Of
Big successes
And
Greater Wisdom

What better wisdom
Can we ever hope to impart

Than them knowing that
We did OUR part

That we spoke
Truth
To the Epitome of power
And won

Societies aren't perfect
No family is

And there
Are Multiple
Things
Burning our world down

But if we could do
ONLY
one thing

Lets that be
To rush
Hustle
And Drive
Guns off our
streets

So we can be ALIVE
Tomorrow,
To start
The day anew

And tackle poverty
And mental health
And access to healthcare for all
Sans the burden of crippling
medical debt

Help our
Unhoused brothers and sisters
And put down more grass
And salvage more strips of ozone

And once we are
All done
Maybe we could even
Convince
All the millionaires
To get
On a rocket
Headed
To the next star
"Turn right after
Alpha centauri"

Just for the heck of it
Unless they pay
Their fair share in taxes
And actually care
About the lives of people
Around them
That are not them
Looking at
A gold guilded
Gold coated mirror
Shining
Bright
With 100 carat
Diamonds
Siblings to the
Kohinoor.

@threadreaderapp unroll for @Lin_Manuel

Come with me
Before the blood on our hands
And the names in our hearts
Overwhelm
And
Before
We lose
This last
Shred
Of Sanity
That marks
Us
As
Human.