Heads shaking side to side
Hands together, lips shut.
They declined a life saving vaccine
My head hung low in defeat
2 days before Christmas, a call
Hurts to cough. Hurts to breathe.
Waited in the ED too long
It’s too late
Yearned to be with family afar
But after work on Christmas Eve…
“Another unvaccinated COVID death…” he sighed.
We live a different reality.
During our rare time off
A ring interrupts
“Sick of your family yet?
Waiting room full, help us out?”
After the holiday
Empty desks, short staffed
Testing lines wrapped round the corner
The unraveling has begun
Searching for Substance 
Well said; I have been emotionally bracing myself for the flood that may come, almost grieving and steeling myself in advance so that when the inevitable calls for help come I can say “no thanks” and still sleep at night. I don’t know if that will ever happen though…