Publication
Article
Psychiatric Times
Nursing Home Doctors
Author(s):
Key Takeaways
- The poem portrays a seasoned doctor's routine, emphasizing his dedication and interactions with hospital staff.
- Imagery of the doctor's office evokes nostalgia, highlighting his commitment to his practice.
"After each lap around the circular hall the aides smile, Hello Doctor!"
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After each lap around the circular hall
the aides smile, Hello Doctor!
and he nods at their greetings
like a general inspecting his troops.
Dressed in the frayed polyester suit
I saw him wear on hospital rounds,
he cradles a baby-blue chart and stops
at random doorways to review his records.
I say Good Morning! and he studies me
in my white coat, like skin lesion
he has seen only once in a textbook.
And I lead him to the door with a shingle
posted outside, his old oak desk
laid out with a blotter, fountain pen
and a spoon for apple sauce he eats
while he writes long, illegible reports,
falling asleep hours past midnight,
just as he did during forty years of practice,
in the arms of his worn-out leather chair.
Dr Berlin has been writing a poem about his experience of being a doctor every month for the past 26 years in Psychiatric Times in a column called “Poetry of the Times.” He is instructor in psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts. His latest book is Tender Fences.
