Mom, Doc, Patient, Home: Poetr... Note

Mom, Doc, Patient, Home: Poetry and the Merging of Identities

Poetry is a valuable medium that has survived for millennia, encouraging emotional seeking and contemplative depth in an ever-changing world. It provides a sense of steadiness and peace, which is scarce for clinicians who often have to juggle multiple responsibilities. The poem "Pager" uses poetry's intentionality to facilitate reflection on the busy life of a physician, highlighting the challenges of balancing patient care, administrative tasks, and home life. The poem's protagonist is constantly on the go, with the pager serving as both a disruptor and an anchoring object that transports her between roles. The use of poetic enjambment brings unexpected transitions, mirroring the jarring nature of the physician's life. The poem captures the feeling of constancy in interruption, which is familiar to clinicians who often have to erase boundaries between work and personal life. Despite efforts to protect caregiver well-being, the poem highlights the dedication required of physicians, who must be responsive to both their patients and loved ones. The speaker of the poem is torn between their professional and personal life, longing for respite and relief from the demands of their job. Poetry provides a unique perspective on this duality, encompassing the complexities of being a physician and a human being. Ultimately, the poem shows that the speaker's dedication to their work does not make them any less human, but rather highlights their admirable commitment to caring for others while also seeking care for themselves.