by Soyombo Ayomikun

It was a gloomy day
As I raced around as the doctor
I wanted to save lives
I wanted to end sorrows
About 3 blocks away
From inside the medical ward
I heard the loud scream
Of a little boy

He was our patient
He was my friend
The sickled cells
Were madly dashing around in his vessels
He was loosing the battle
Because some souls embraced love
Because some souls embraced faith
And damned Genotype

I raced towards his ward
With my heart in my mouth
He had a soft smile
And bluish glassy eyes
I couldn’t imagine the smiles
Fading away forever
I couldn’t imagine his eyelids
Shutting and concealing the eyes for ages
But then,the sickled cells
Kept hammering on his spirit
Because in exchange for love
Some souls damned Genotype

As I got to his bedside
He looked into my eyes
He tried to smile
But tears rolled off his eyes
Then with a raspy voice
He asked ‘Dr, why me?’
‘Is it that God hates me?’
‘Is it that the heavens does not care’
‘Dr,am I going to die?’
‘Will I live to see tomorrow?’
I tried to reply
But my eyes began to shed its rain
I squeezed his hand
I cried some more
We were pushed into a revival of sorrows
Because in exchange for love
Some souls damned Genotype

We dashed around
As we struggled to save his life
He kept screaming
‘God,why me?’
Just outside the ward
I could hear as his mother groaned
His father was not spared
Their voices banging at heaven’s door
But God was not asleep
He was watching us all
We were on the verge of loosing a battle
Because in exchange for love
Some souls damned Genotype

At a point the little boy started whispering
‘Take me home Father’
He continued repeating this
His voice getting more distant with each new cycle
Father heard him
His smiles faded
His voice whithered
His eyelids snapped shut
Heaven’s door was opened for him
His exit tearing our hearts apart
We lost a beautiful innocent heart
Because in exchange for love
Some souls damned Genotype

Love is sweet & sacred
But wisdom has to lead the way
Love is indeed rare
But then some sorrows can turn the sweet into sadness
If your Genotype is AS
And that of your partner is AS or SS
Please have a rethink
While holding on to your faith

Your miracle may be hidden
In believing you’ll find another heart
Who will love you the same
Bringing no risks of pains
Your miracle may be concealed
In that simple step
Of hoping for the best
And not dumping your future at the feet of chance
So you don’t give birth to seeds
That will be consumed by pains
Because in exchange for love
You both damned Genotype

I believe in miracles
But I have seen pains
I believe in prayers
But I’ve comforted several in death
Souls that have cursed their parents
For bringing them into the world
As all through their days
They chewed rotten apples of pain
Because from their ancestors
They inherited the sickled cell
Because in exchange for love
Some souls damned Genotype

Dedicated to the countless hearts that have lost the battle to Sickle Cell Disease,all the souls still alive fighting,all the families being a great support,all Foundations involved in advocacy.

N.B : Sickle Cell Disease does not equal death…for all affected,get closer to your healthcare givers,never miss your clinic appointments-We Will Win!!!

Op-Ed Editor