To the Reader

The structure of this work is quite straightforward.

In a sparsely furnished family physician's office, patients arrive alone to tell their story.

What is important to this doctor? Only that which is important to his patients - nothing more and nothing less.

Some come once, never to return. Others frequent his office repeatedly as they struggle to make sense of what has befallen them.

None come for judgment; a few for advice; but all simply to be heard.

On the left facing page are notations of several types:

VOICE OVER - introduces the speaker

&- commentary on how the poem is to be read

&&- personal reflections of the writer on the meaning of the poem

Readers may very well wonder if each poem represents a single patient. In a few instances, this is the case. But most of them are composites based upon repeated contact with people who have contended, in their unique ways, with common crises.

I have been privileged to have had no less than 150,000 patient encounters (100 patients per week - 50 weeks per year - 30 years).

Despite our differences, at the end of the day, we confront the same basic issues of life and living.