A Poem in Gratitude for Health Care Workers

<p>In Leanne O’Sullivan’s poem “<a href="https://onbeing.org/poetry/leaving-early/">Leaving Early</a>,” the poet writes to her ill husband, entrusting him into the care of a nurse named Fionnuala. As the novel coronavirus sweeps the globe, many of us can’t physically be there for loved ones who are sick. Instead, it is the health care workers — and all involved in the health care system — who are tirelessly present, caring for others in spite of exhaustion and the risk it brings to their own well being.</p><p>We offer this episode of <i>Poetry Unbound</i> in profound gratitude toward all who are working in health care right now.</p><p>“Leaving Early” comes from Leanne O’Sullivan’s book <a href="https://www.bloodaxebooks.com/ecs/product/a-quarter-of-an-hour-1170"><i>A Quarter of an Hour</i></a>. Thank you to the publisher, Bloodaxe Books, who gave us permission to use Leanne’s poem. Read it on our website at <a href="https://onbeing.org/poetry/leaving-early/">onbeing.org</a>.</p><p>Find the transcript for this episode at <a href="https://onbeing.org/programs/a-poem-in-gratitude-for-health-care-workers/">onbeing.org</a>.</p><p>The original music in this episode was composed by <a href="https://floatingfast.bandcamp.com/album/music-from-poetry-unbound">Gautam Srikishan</a>.</p>