Physician’s Poem

Physician's Poem

Physician’s PoemThe Good Physician

Jay Jackson, MDYork, Pa. jackson@cyberia.com

 

Has a brain that works

Can tell a joke tastefully

Listens as much as talks

Conveys as much with a gaze as with expostulation

Avoids the counsel of scalawags and pontificators

Watches, with pride, the accomplishments of others

Adds to the value of every encounter

Welcomes newness in all its forms

and oldness when it turns newness inside out

Knows that the cerebellum is for dancing

Is not annoyed by mediocrity

Never underestimates the intelligence or ability of others

Realizes that when the procedure has ended, someone still has to clean up

Notes that being wrong and glib is tactless

Thoughtfully navigates divisions of cultural diversity

Is haunted by the difference between accomplishment and aspiration

Can touch

Accumulates a trove of magical ideas for sharing

Is well remembered for those things given away without a second’s hesitation

Understands the weight of oceans in a tear

Bumps into life with boldness and civility

Can use sotto voce 

Asks for help when needed

Knows the names of everyone in the room and remembers

to thank them all

Is comfortable with silence

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