Are we winning

A nurse said ‘are you winning?’

To another nurse in the corridor

Just a little passing comment 

In between all of the horror 

By a machine i’ve never seen before 

Like a child sized coffin 

With tubes and pipes

And flashing lights 

Moving to another one 

She said ‘are you winning’

With a smile on her face 

With a promise in her heart 

You’re not dying in this place 

That’s a fire in the dark 

That’s a healer in our age 

That’s a miracle intention 

That’s the human in the race 

She said ‘are you winning’

Like a lion in a cage 

Like she’s locked in here 

With death with a knife and a chain 

Fighting with the devil 

No, death can’t be tamed 

Staring at the reaper with a straight f*****g face 

‘You must be confused, no one is leaving here today’

And even though she’s bleeding for the ones who got away 

She’ll show up in the morning uniform, washed, changed 

And stand before the void with a new set of names 

She said ‘are you winning’ 

Like a soldier in a trench 

Like a player on the field who’s never seen the bench 

And she walks up to a woman in the bed near me 

And said in a soft loving voice 

‘how do you take your tea’

Said it like it matters, like it’s not routine 

And every joy that i’ve ever known 

Or sunset that i’ve seen 

The love of another human is proof enough for me 

That you are not you, and i am not me 

That we and us are one, sleeping in the same dream 

Singing lullabies of kindness 

Turning nightmares into peace

So ask me if we’re winning

I think we just might be 

~ Are we winning?