Leaving the Doctor's Office with Healthy Children

Leaving the Doctor's Office with Healthy Children

Photo by Acton Crawford on UnsplashA small part of me has left the earth

no longer required to maintain that balance

of grit and humor and lightness

that comes so hard to me

especially under the harsh florescents

and unceasing beeping

– the airless rooms

and clouds of antiseptic – 

buoyed by the guilt of feeling 

like I have escaped some great disaster

while others enter this same space

with no such hope to hold

and knowing we all must return

once, twice, so many times more

and will not always walk out relieved.

Originally published on Medium.com.