POETRY | KINDNESS | REFLECTIONS ON LIFE
Searching Broken Kernels of Kindness
Tanka Prose
Illnesses don’t comprehend their measure, or humanity’s race, religion, age, and gender. All types of people assemble at the outpatient department each morning at 10:00 a.m. A chirring canvas of shifting images till afternoon.
If this physician was to work 24x7, there’d have been a 24x7 crowd. If he were to work on weekends, people would’ve still walked in. That’s the strength of illnesses. Not needed, though. What’s the ER for? Some are okay with junior doctors, but some will wait long hours for a senior physician. They want the best care, expertise, and attention.
A crowd that buzzes nonstop (once the physician arrives at 12 noon) starts dispersing quite quickly. Four minutes each: He opens files, asks two questions, scripts a scan or prescription and people must vanish. No questions to be asked. No talk entertained. Next patient. More than four minutes were given to rich and reputed families. A little more attention to the uninformed.
An educated and worrying daughter’s questions on scan results will be ignored if probed too much — “he is 86, leave him alone, rest you know” — as if she wants to trouble her father, as if being educated is a disadvantage, as if life in 80s is not precious…
