Flatline

The Raid and Evacuation of Kamal Adwan, the Last Functioning Hospital in North Gaza, Dec 27, 2024

The grounds rumble with tanks to
announce death to
the last of the living–
they know the sound as a
last beep of a monitor
before flatline.

Patients seize hope how they can–
a bit of gauze, a
white cloth, a crutch for
a missing leg.

The rough echo of the foreign
voice over loudspeakers
shake the walls:

Evacuate these halls and leave
no shadows behind!

Flee into the silence the
world has designed!

Walk until the road ends
and then–
keep walking.

Nicole Lombardi a high school English teacher and writer who lives in Oak Park, Il. She has essays published in Mindful Word, English Journal and Feels Blind Literary Magazine. Her poetry can be found in Beyond Words Literary Magazine, Dissident Voice, After Hours Press, and others. Read other articles by Nicole.