Not billable
Shop talk done
smooth back the hospital sheet
add a warm blanket
tuck your feet in
add another
gather water
no ice
for the side table
we amble through the photos
on your phone
lambing season
at the family farm
your great-granddaughter
beaming
in her red rubber boots
fifteen minutes overtime
and yet
the highlight
of my day
The following poem, Oath, is of the genre “found poems”.
Found poems take existing texts and refashion them, reorder them, and present them as poems. The literary equivalent of a collage, found poetry is often made from newspaper articles, street signs, graffiti, speeches, letters, or even other poems.
The poem Oath is Dr. Roth’s original writing using the Hippocratic Oath.
Oath
I hold an oath
swear to impart
carry out
my art
and livelihood
I need
and want
to do no harm
injustice is
poison
will my ability
to
administer judgement
benefit patients
or fee regimens?
I will not harm
we break bodies
what should
be holy
witnesses to
keep
pure
I enter
indenture
outside what
my family
will ever
hear published
I hold
the knife
and stone
teach my art
abstain
not abusing
what should not be
my life
my art
opposite men
The Physician and Family Support Program (PFSP) invites original physician poetry submissions
PFSP recognizes the importance of the emotional and social aspects of physicians’ lives in their overall wellness. We invite Alberta physicians in any career stage to send in their original poems/prose to be considered for publication in the PFSP Perspectives column in future issues of Alberta Doctors’ Digest.
- Submissions (under 500 words please) can be emailed to pfsp@albertadoctors.org. Please put the phrase “poetry submission” in the subject field of the email.
- We will acknowledge receipt of your submission. If it is selected for publication, we will work with the ADD editor to determine when it can be published.
- For further information or questions, please email pfsp@albertadoctors.org, and one of our team will get back to you.
