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Wednesday 14 September 2011

The Good Doctor

It was only an ice-breaker, understand,
but his first consultations always began
with a tale that the doctor swore was true:
A man there was who travelled the world
for botanical specimens, tropical, rare.
And with him went - at enormous cost
in money and time and energy - a marble
headstone carved with his name
and every conceivable relevant fact

Only the date of his death remained
for the mason to chip when his chips were cashed.
Amongst the facts already there,
the one great achievement of his life:
that the stone had gone with him wherever he'd gone.

So why did he burden himself? you ask -
or have perhaps your theories wrought?
Stop a moment and frame those thoughts,
for that's the question the doctor put
to every patient who heard the tale.
Their speculations enlightened his mind
and revealed to it what tormented theirs.

15 comments:

Mary said...

Interesting to contemplate, Dave. The answers would be enlightening to hear indeed.

Raj said...

pretty damn good. looks like he carried his gravestone with him.

and yes the answers would tell the doctor all he needed to know, all he would be required to heal.

Isabel Doyle said...

Deep! Seems to be a bit of a health theme on your blog - hope you and yours are well.

Isabel x

Carl said...

My kind of Dr. Another great poem Dave!

Lolamouse said...

Hmmm, very interesting...(writes this down) And what did this poem mean to you?

Very clever, indeed, Dave! Why would someone choose to carry around such a weight?

The Weaver of Grass said...

Very interesting Dave. Did this really happen in some context?

jabblog said...

Several answers come to mind and though they might be plausible, only one person would know the correct answer. It's a sort of Rorschach test!

twinkly sparkles said...

I like this poem/story very much.
twinkly

Windsmoke. said...

The first stanza reminds me of the naturalist Charles Darwin?? :-).

LR Photography said...

Interesting Dave!

Linda Bob Grifins Korbetis Hall said...

lovely explorations of the doctor and how people try to understand him.

The Unknowngnome said...

It's the same gravestone I carry about, the Rock upon which I stand though it be joy and not torment.

Absolutely superb Dave!

Dave King said...

Mary
Ah... I don't know that bit! Only that there is no right answer, it's different for each.

Raj
Exactly!

Isabel
Thanks for the good wish. Struggling on, seems to sum it up more days than not.

Carl
Thanks. I did wonder...

Lolamouse
Why indeed? That's the £million question.

Weaver of Grass
Not that I know of. I'm afraid I just made it up - unless I heard it sometime and had forgotten it!

jabblog
It is indeed, a sort of verbal version of it! Clever thought, that!

twinkle sparkles
Hi, a warm welcome to you. Good to have you visiting. Thank you for your comment.

Windsmoke
Yes, I can see why.

Adrian
Thanks Adrian.

The Cello Strings
Hi, good to have you visiting, and my thanks to you for the comment. Very useful feedback.

The Unknowngnome
Oh, that's where I heard it! You poor fellow, my commiserations, but it's built your character so wonderfully well!

Jenny Woolf said...

I find it interesting that I could not bear to contemplate why he would do such a thing as carry around this weight. I think I would deny that he actually wanted to do it at all!

Jingle Poetry At Olive Garden said...

Hohoho,

What charming poetry you have posted here.

Invite you to share 1 to 3 poems with us, anything could fit the theme of object,

Cheers.
Hope to see you in.

Happy Writing..
xoxox