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doi:10.1378/chest.07-1688
(Chest. 2008; 133:582)
© 2008 American College of Chest Physicians
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Why Did I Cough, Why Did I Laugh Tonight?

Victor Howes

Boston, MA

Correspondence to: Victor Howes, 137 West Newton St, Boston, MA 02118; e-mail: ETakino{at}aol.com

John Keats, March 1819

Why did I cough tonight? What makes me wheeze?

What common cold, uncommon, grips my throat?

No answer. What incurable disease,

What lurking bug of no known antidote,

What chicken flu binds me with mutant link

To feathered friends? What mad cow virus

Invades my blood? From what cause do I shrink ...

Singapore SARS? A gene from Grandpa Cyrus?

And will I find philosophy enough

To friend me in my contest with the reaper,

To let me laugh, as young John Keats could laugh.

Whose cough was deep as mine, or even deeper?

Wind winnows wheat, but blows away the chaff.

Why did I cough? John Keats, why did you laugh?

Footnotes

Editor’s Note: This formal Shakespearean sonnet, unusual in poetry these days, was written by a retired professor of English. For readers of CHEST, both the subject of the poem and the fact that Keats died of tuberculosis make it aptly suitable for selection— Michael Zack, MD, Section Editor of Pectoriloquy.

The author has no conflict of interest to disclose.





This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF) Free
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Article Archive
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Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Howes, V.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Howes, V.
Related Content
Right arrow Pectoriloquy

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