The Indian Association of Palliative Care celebrated this year’s World Poetry Day by publishing ‘A symphony of Words: A collection of poems‘ penned by our very own friends from the palliative care community. We continue to share a poem, each week, for our friends to enjoy!
The poem for this week, Poem #12 of 25..
‘Dilemma of a Palliative Care Physician’ by Dr Pratyasa Padhi, New Delhi
We have to be honest; we have to be clear
We are messengers of hope and harbingers of fear
We see it all, in comforting patients
Lit up eyes, hopeful prayers & painful laments
Such is the paradox, embedded in the job.
The endless strife to wipe a sob
Yes! It is not always possible to cure,
The maladies of life and diseases of yore
Cure may be not, but pain has no place.
Our fight is to put a smile on his face
The irony is stark, we need to be fair in despair
And care, when no one is able to repair
We stand by them and palliate till the end
Navigating the trials of life in every tortuous bend
It’s strange, they bless us while drawing their last breath,
A relationship is thus forged, in grief, calm and in the truth of death.
About the poet:
Dr Pratyasa Padhi is a Junior Resident (MD Palliative Medicine) at the Department of Onco-Anaesthesia and Palliative Medicine, Dr BRAIRCH, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi.
To read poems from the entire collection, please click here.
I loved it nani…