A Poem for Our Frontliners and Covid-19 Warriors

Painting by Craig Stephens

"CALL OF DUTY" 

Written by Bea Jalandoni (thewonderhuman)


Bodies tired from little sleep nor eating time at all,
Standing, walking long hours, running for lives on the line

Minds strained from the persistent mindful decisions to make and call,
and the ripples and consequences to endure or rejoice over,

Hearts broken for limits that can’t be helped,
deaths to witness and declare, families to console,

Souls weary from all of these, yet carrying the greatest risk
Questioning if it's still worth it, longing for families lamenting absence from home,

YET with bodies tired, minds strained, hearts broken, souls weary, in the forefront you stand

Knights without armor, warriors without swords,
fighting with all your might for something more than a pyrrhic victory

THANK YOU.

For the extra hours that go beyond those found in a day
For the compassion in moments of distress, pain and grief,
For the resourcefulness in solving problems that aren’t yours to fix,
For giving yourself wholly for a greater cause,

For enduring the peril in your oath to heal,
For your valor in the face of fear,
For setting aside too often, what you feel
For being there, and not here...

In the theater of war we can only share the promises of our God who is :

" He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly disease;He will cover you with His wings, you will be safe under His care; His faithfulness will protect and defend you; Even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, you need not fear for He is with you."

We are with you.
We are praying with and for you.
We love you and are grateful for you.
We believe in what you do and the why's behind it,
and trust how you'll fight this battle

And for your sake and ours too, we will honor your call of duty.

Illustration by Josef Lee