Minutiae

I never want to miss the forest for the trees

At the same time I never want to cease

Paying attention to minor details because that is where

The devil lies, waiting to ensnare

The unsuspecting person who has committed

An error of omission that was not permitted

So I try to keep the big picture in sight

Simultaneously the urge to overlook minor details I fight

*

In terms of caring for patients I must say

Attending to minute details has saved the day

More often than not, therefore I remind

Myself to go through minutiae in my mind

Mostly I do not get distracted from the overall goal

But there are times when I go down a rabbit hole

I waste my time on irrelevant details

And in keeping the overarching goal in mind I fail