National EMS Week

Originally published as a holiday poem in honor of EMS teams everywhere. The Night Before EMS'mas is appropriate any time, but especially this week. Thanks to all EMS personnel for what you do.

Star of Life

The Night Before EMS’mas

—First published in JEMS Magazine Dec. 1991

‘twas the night before EMS’mas

when all through the place,

Not a patient request

Had yet made us race

To that gleaming machine

All poised and on station:

Our rotary, lifesaving

Air-gripping creation.

Our pilot and nurses

Were milling about

The dispatch office

When a blood-curdling shout

Sent hearts to a tizzy,

And the crew in a lather,

I scanned the pad camera

To see what was the matter.

Up on the helipad

In a swirl and a blur

A fat little gremlin

In red scrubs did appear.

This jolly old elf

Surely everyone knew:

The famous Saint Nick — Medi-Claus

And his crew!

He straightened his wig,

Then hunched up his back,

Then jumped from his rig

With his orange Thomas® pack

But his black Reeboks® slipped

As he leapt to our pad!

We all winced, 'cause it looked

Like he'd hurt himself bad!

But the old soul got up

With a shake in his belly

Like a ho-ho-hot bowl

Full of warm Doppler jelly.

Bright toys and utensils

Spilled out in a crush,

Items elves at North Bio

Had created for us:

One widget for pressures,

A doo-dad for respirs,

All to help hasten

Our lifesaving gestures.

Next thing that popped out

Our silence it fractured:

A magical, miracle clock

That ran backward!

We gazed at its face—

First at 3, then at 2,

Then our pulses all raced as

As its 1 came in view!

We watched the hands going

From the 3 to the 2,

And we knew what this time-skewing

Widget could do:

Patients' wrenching reversals

This tool could undo.

Reverse those reversals—

They'd be cured, good as new!

We guessed at the options

This gift could provide,

Skewing time for our patients

On their clock-racing ride!

On the night before EMS’mas

The program was still.

I dozed in my quarters

For a long winter's lull.

Then, in dispatch, the hotline

Lit up with a start:

A patient showed signs

Of a hurt to their heart!

With no time to slip,

That brave nurse team and I

Raced out to the ship

To get ready to fly.

I threw the doors wide…

But imagine my shock

To find hanging inside

No weird time-skewing clock!

Then I conjured this thought

As the dream slipped from view

The gift of time missed

Was the reason we flew!

A sight made me pause

As I buckled aboard:

Twas red-scrubbed Medi-Claus

And his cute little herd.

"On Pacer! On Pager!

On Monitor too!"

He heigh-ho'ed his eager

Scrub-suited air crew.

I heard his salute

To our heart call that night:

"Merry EMS’mas to all

And to all a good flight!"