A VETERINARIAN’S LIFE

The Whispers I Have Heard

The animals I have known

Photo by Craig Philbrick on Unsplash

Though I cherish
the quiet I have earned
there are days I miss
the whisper of animals
all around me

Youthful energy,
bounding in
I’m easy to please
I’m easy to forgive

nervous purr, saying
do what you must
just be quick
just be gentle

Next come the sick,
cradled in worried arms
with love that
fills the room

such a clamor of voices
I must listen carefully
as hands move, head to tail
in practiced form

all my senses
searching for
the hidden clues,
for how to heal

But most of all, I miss
the old and infirm
who speak to me
in quiet tones of
all their frailties