When Patients Cry
When patients cry
I encourage them to cry
The eyes swell shut
Saturated with sadness
Then comes the first drop
The solitary tear
The first messenger of inner misery
That is hastily wiped away
In a pathetic attempt
To delay others that might follow
For this onslaught could last a day
Or for forty days and nights
And there is doubt the vessel will hold
To weather such a storm
But instead be an ensnaring cage
Broken and dashed upon the rocks
Descending to the murky depths
As one is left to drown in their sorrows
But when patients cry
I encourage them to cry
Two by two we perfect the craft
Two by two we collect the best attributes
The rest are left out to the elements
In this man-made sanctuary
In this arc of solace
Patient and physician
We huddle together
Anticipating the tears
And the passing of final judgement
When the deluge finally arrives
The psyche is flooded with emotions
And feelings rage
Old sins are washed aside
Thoughts of wrath and un-forgiveness
Imperfections and accusations
All flow away with the edging tide
And when the wailing stops
When the floodgates close
Like exterior doors, the eyes are opened
Ready to explore this brave new world
When patients cry
I encourage them to cry
For the alternative is much worse
When no tears come
The soul becomes a parched desert
And the spirit wanders lost
In a place uninhabitable for life
Tormented by inner demons
Under temptation that can last a day
Or for forty days and nights
Until one simply gives in
To dwell among the bleached skeletons
Ghastly reminders of the flaws of one's past
So, when patients cry
I encourage them to cry
