A lifeless body rolls through the doors,
a small limp 5 month old,
blue lips, grey limbs,
not a heart beat, not a breath.
A near drowning tells the medic,
moms outside beyond hysteric.
Lets intubate and cardiac massage,
give me epinephrine and atropine
more drugs more CPR,
a central line an a-line please
a chest tube and 50 joules.

A heart beat and another and yet another
doc you got her back, yet another,
for the mother to hold and to cherish
this beautiful angel, this innocent babe.
I shake my head I hold back tears
got her back, not her, I fear
the pupils they are dilated and they are fixed
not a dolls I see, no gag nor a corneal.

Doc what are you going to tell the mother
and what about the father
You know this is all they had in life
poor souls have no other. Come here mom and you too dad
see your angel, hold her hand
kiss her goodbye, a hug if you like
done all I could , there's no more I would

You have the skills you have the power
can't you do more for my angel tonight
They say they're the best, Bradley Fuhrman and the rest
doctor give my angel everything you've got tonight.
They say you have ecmo and liquid and nitric too
doctor don't hold back anything from my angel tonight.

A knob is turned
in my clockwork home.
A bell is rung
at its clockwork door.

My father dies;
my mother cries.
A spring has sprung
in my clockwork home.

No windows gape;
no pictures hang.
And rugs that chaff
against your soul.

Like onion whorls
and bathtub drains.
The cogwheels churn
in my clockwork home.

No winding hand
no sweeping face.
No balance wheel
or plodding pace.

The seconds rise.
The minutes fall.
For time's a-click
in my clockwork home.

Not solar wind
nor lunar tide.
Can be at sync
with my clockwork home.