We old-timers fondly teach
That Medicine is not at all terse,
Alas, today's students reach
For technology and computers !

Clinical skills are of the mind
And can be learned with an intellect
But Empathy is of the heart
Gifted by role models, not texts !

To be able to almost feel another's
Suffering as one's own
Is not easy
To inculcate ; yet many studies have
Shown that the ability to be kind
Can indeed happen ere it's too late !

I saw a toddler the other day
Who was walking clumsily;
He had his father's shoes on,
You could see that easily !

What will happen to this child,
Smilingly I thought,
What does destiny hold
For this tiny tot ?

The smile froze on my lips,
When it occurred suddenly,
That the lad I was watching
Was none other than Me !!

The raven is black
Milk of course is white,
He is wrong but she is
Almost  always right !

Yet  she / he who
Firmly holds sway,
Sees our world as
Shades of ......Grey / Gray !

During a trip to Canada,
We were thrilled to witness
A glorious Rainbow at Niagara,
We watched with whispered sighs !

The Silence was broken when
A toddler asked his father,
'Dad, what causes this,' then
He said' 'Son, it's God's own Signature'!

A doctor's day is filled
With emotional tides
Cloaks of anxiety can build
Depression on the sides !

We have to deal with these
With detached involvement,
And try hard to please
Those in throes of torment !

How do you manage
You might well wonder,
I use a Canoe called empathy
With humour  as the oars !

It is six in the morning
I wake up with a start,
And prepare to face the day !
Becoming presentable,
Collecting my wits I am on my way!

The real Me is gone
And the Social me is born !