Like you,

I love

the power of third generation cephalosporins

the sweet cherry smell of children’s amoxicillin

the return of life after rotting for six weeks

bedridden, soul downcast,

from bacterial catastrophe

And feeling how my sinuses thrive

When I can finally laugh again

Because I have known the darkness of sickness

But also, the joy of a cure

I believe that these gifts are serendipitous

That antimicrobial stewardship calls for wisdom

That doxycycline, like ceftriaxone and azithromycin

 can save lifespans

And that antibiotic mercies do not end there

But continue in the lives of those given a second chance

In organ transplants and joint replacements

In the stoicism of trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole

And the mighty metronidazole

In the veins of those saved by vancomycin

And in the underestimated bacitracin

That infectious diseases are forever forthcoming

And that antibiotics, like all life-saving discoveries,

Deserve to be cherished, protected

Never taken for granted.

Description:

"Ode to Antibiotics" is a poem that was inspired by Roque Dalton's poem "Like You", a beautiful poem that celebrates the power of poetry. During one of my clinical rotations, I worked closely with a wonderful pharmacist. And I thought of that poem that celebrated the power of poetry. So I wanted to communicate that same sentiment in appreciation of antibiotics, which have been one of the most life saving discoveries in the history of medicine.