(This comes on the heels of the last poem- how a physician moves forward with hope in the midst of despair)
There were a thousand reasons to leave
Myriad annoyances that made me want to cleave
Myself from the profession that had become
My second skin, my identity, the overall sum
Of my strengths and weaknesses, an integral part
Of my capability, my intellect, my mind, my heart..
Except that it was exacting a price rising higher each day
Placing more roadblocks along the way
Distracting me from the essence of what was essential
Leading me towards a crisis existential
When did medicine become an obstacle race
Futile were all the hurdles I had to face
To take care of patients appropriately
The meaningless challenges made me want to flee
I reasoned that other paths I would be able to find
That would not as completely consume my mind…
*
But the grip of medicine was stronger than I thought
It is a calling, merely a vocation it is not
When the meaningless time sinks were shaved away
I realized the real essence of my work was there to stay
No one could take that away from me
That realization finally gave me clarity
The patient-physician relationship that was at the core
Of my profession was enough, I needed nothing more
The thousands of reasons for me to go away
Paled before that most important reason to stay…
*
I’ve faced challenges to be where I am now
To be broken by the system, myself I wouldn’t allow
Through all the challenges I shall forge a path ahead
I’ll ignore the distractions, focus on the crux instead
*
Discarding the thousand justifications to leave
I’ll stay because in the power of my profession I believe
Passion...unbridled 