Dr. Jay Kaplan shares poem for healthcare workers

Present Moment

You don’t know if your patient will be next
as death can be seen wherever you gaze
old and young
chronically ill or previously well
it doesn’t seem to much matter
your search for those facts which put your patient at risk
hoping to ease your own fears
to reassure yourself that you are safe
but there is no such relief
you don’t know if you will be next
you worry for your patients
and you worry for your family
and you worry for yourself
a voice calls out
now is not the time to be a hero
and you answer it
with a resounding
no
it is that time
this is your calling
the retreat is not an option
and so you take one step and then another
one hour one day at a time
faced with constant reminders
of your own mortality
can you see
that this is a dress rehearsal of sorts
for when it is your time
and that now is the time to be
a student of life and death
learning what is truly most important
to be grateful
to live in the present moment
because nothing else is guaranteed
to love and allow others to love you
to inspire and give hope
to connect and support
no one wishes to feel alone in these times
even as you are forced
to put on barriers and create isolation
can you bring your human touch
to the human beings who surround you
you must
we must
-Jay Kaplan, M.D.
3/31/2020