Soliloquy of an Erythrocyte
Note: Please review ASH’s disclaimer regarding the use of the information contained in these articles.
A dispirited erythrocyte discovers meaning in shared struggle.
Erythrocyte:
Woe was the fool operating without intentionality
A mere mule for gas, I am a biconcave envelope
Empty of substance and organelles
A pawn in a vaporous game of chess
Alive for 120 days, but have not truly lived one
Red my sheen but a deoxygenated blue is my soul
A bag of hemoglobin, from alveoli to alveoli
I do not sleep, nor eat, nor find joy
I dream of an existence free from vasculature
Macrophage:
Micromorsels of mangled meningococci lace my membrane
So quick and brief, in the moment
I don’t know what came over myself
It happened before, hopefully not again
I can’t control the phagocytosis
Engorgement, I swallow with self-disgust
Neutrophil:
What was that? A shadow of a strep?
Nightmares of Staph aureus circumventing
My reactive oxygen species
Leave me quivering
The memory of his cytotoxicity
A massacre of tissue damage, I lie awake
Replaying in my mind
These intrusions are inescapable, ah!
Platelet:
Von Willebrand, over here micrometers to the left
He never learns, always missing the mark
Driving me crazy, the cascade must be perfect
I must clot, why if not
Something bad will happen
Bleeding is brutal, I am compelled
To clot
I clot here and I clot there
I do not stop for I must clot
Eosinophil:
These aches again
The spasms in my nucleus
Membranes seem discolored
Cytoplasm flows extra viscously
I feel it, I know it, I am dying
The spleen doesn’t believe me
Dismissing my complaints as ‘in my head’
I am forlorn, dying and forlorn
Erythrocyte:
Born from bone marrow
We are endowed a Tabula Rasa
Shaped by our adversities, we are alike
Enduring in silence is reduction division
The wealth of a blood cell
Is not weighed by their disposition in peace
But by their character in adversity
In poikilocytosis we stand
In unity we thrive
Help ASH Build an Inclusive Hematology Community!
ASH is committed to building and nurturing a global hematology community and workforce inclusive of diverse perspectives, talents, and experiences as it works toward one collective goal: helping hematologists conquer blood diseases worldwide.
How Can You Help?
Visit your My Account page, make needed updates to your demographic details, and select your preferred level of ASH access to your information; aggregated or individually identifiable, or choose not to provide or share your information. By sharing information about who you are, you will help ASH have a better appreciation of the diverse needs and talents present in the field, and help to build a more inclusive, collaborative hematology community. It will take only a few moments to complete!
Update Access to Demographic Information Learn About Our Mission