A Halloween Sonnet

When ghosts fly haunting through the misty air,
When skulls and ghouls and vampires fill the night,
We don our masks of creatures foul and fair,
In hopes of turning heads and giving fright.

I ask my daughter what she wants to be -
A zombie walking, rotting, down the road,
A jack-o-lantern, or a spry palm tree,
A flying pixie or a hopping toad.

Or hey, why not a knight or dragon strong,
A princess brave and smart, a doctor kind,
An skillful bard who plays a spooky song,
A teacher tending gardens of the mind?

I ask her who she wishes to become,
And hear her bright imagination hum.



Some brief thoughts:
On Halloween, we put on masks not only to scare, but for many other reasons ranging from the social to the inspirational. Groups of friends and teams of coworkers dress in themes, bonding and becoming something greater together. Some people's favorite part is the making of costumes, whether to express their creativity or their love for someone who cannot make one themselves. Children in particular only sometimes pick their costumes based on their impact on others. This holiday offers them a chance to be who they want to be, or who they dream of becoming some day.
(Caveat - I don't have children, and can only speak from personal experience and observation.)

#MedLimericks, Part 1

Inspired by: @DShadowgazer

For headache without complication,
A brain scan has no indication.
In such cases you’ll see
That a good H&P
Is more helpful than irradiation.
(http://www.choosingwisely.org/societies/american-college-of-radiology/)
 
If potassium’s staying too low
And you feel like there’s nowhere to go,
Please remember that you
Need magnesium too,
For together their levels may grow.

When sleep apnea’s troubling your rest
CO2 fills your blood and your chest,
But with CPAP at night
You’ll stay up when it’s bright
And your mood will not be so depressed!
(http://jcsm.aasm.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=30173)

Many doctors remain unaware
Of the power of palliative care.
It’s not just for the dying,
But for anyone crying
In suffering, pain, or despair.