! The Physician Poem by Linda Ori

Who takes the time to understand
Depression and its woes,
The fears and insecurities
A dying patient knows;

Who's there to lend a gentle touch
And give a word of cheer,
To smile and comfort those in pain
With words they need to hear;

Who shares the tears of happiness
With parents at the birth
Of babies they have dreamed about
With mystery and mirth;

Who patches up the wounded,
The dying and the lame,
And sometimes works a miracle
As though it were a game;

Who makes the time, no matter what
When time just won't allow,
To take an extra minute
And turn later into now;

Who misses meals and family
In order to appear
When nature needs a healer
Or the end is drawing near;

Who consoles the living
The dying leave behind,
When words won't come so easily
To bring them peace of mind;

Who sacrifices everything
The 'normal' man enjoys -
An evening with the family
Or a night out with the boys;

A man who chose to dedicate
His life to serving others,
A man who seeks to understand
The suffering of his brothers -
Through courage and devotion
To life, to death and birth.....................
God gave us the physician
To protect his souls on earth.


6/02/2009

*This was written in the 70's as a tribute to a wonderful physician (and my boss for many years) . For those female physicians, it also applies to you!