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I Remain in Awe of You, My Patient
Acad Psychiatry
I Remain in Awe of You, My Patient
Andrew J. McLean 0 1
0 University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences , Fargo, ND , USA
1 Andrew J. McLean
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I remain in awe of you, my
patientIn spite of your voices telling you
To stay away, you return to this clinic
Often.
You pace
In the crowded waiting room.
It is not the pace
Of a lithe great cat
Nor of emotional anxiety.
(Though certainly you have shared
Your fears with me.)
It is like the back and forth discomfort
Of a child having to wait for the
bathroomWe both know, however it is
The restlessness from side-effects of medication
Supposedly meant to help;
Which I prescribe, and you willingly take
Because you trust me.
What have I done to earn this trust?
I remain in awe of you, my
patientYou awoke early, rode three buses
To get here,
Not yet having eaten.
(I complained this morning because
After a hearty breakfast, I had to
Scrape the ice off my car
Before driving to work.)
Somehow, you feel the effort
To return to this “treatment”
Is worth it.
I remain in awe of you, my
patientI will try to better understand you.
I will try to do you more good than harm
And I will be here. (...truncated)