Eugenia Lee is a GP and medical educator in South East London. Her poetry explores the human experience of medicine, general practice and caring for others.
For Those Whose Primary is to Care
As the quiet hum of computers wake before the sun
May you have the conviction that your work is never in vain
As the system start stirring and the day has begun
May all the myriads of IT platform used run smooth and remain.
When Monday morning queues arrive like a tide at the desk
May your smile stay steady, your calmness hold through
When the surgery becomes a symphony of coughs, crying babies and unspoken fear
May kindness flow deep, a river runs faithful, strong yet true.
When Monday morning queues arrive like a tide at the desk … May your smile stay steady, your calmness hold through
When the phones ring incessantly, persistent and shrill
May your voice stay patient, clear and strong
When tasks mount high and the day tests your skill
May printers and equipment trolleys keep pace, all day long!
When the home visiting book fill like pages of unfinished story
May wisdom and creativity guide you, solution appear
When tasks, letters, path results stack up in quiet glory
May your hands move steady, your perfect choreography clear
When flooded with questions wrapped in fear and still ask for more
May you recognise the gentle comfort you give is rare
When frustration and anger press hard on the shop floor
May you hold the silent storms others cannot bear.
When the waiting room is full
May you remember that every name on the screen, is a story trusting you.
When despite your best, grief and loss start to pull,
May comfort and shared tea get you through
In the toughest of times, when laughter seems small
May peace still wrap around you in a warm cocoon
When computer crash or systems stumble and stall
May goodness and humour stitch into those hardest afternoon
For our quiet heroes behind phones and bright screens
To those balancing rotas, solving sudoku each week
To those who send and chase referrals in digital streams
Yours are the hands that keep the practice at its peak.
May you be blessed by a family formed, not by blood
But by the rhythm of work, each thread strengthening the whole
Where compassion flows from hand to hand like a nourishing flood
Support is shared, by those who simply understands, no matter our role
When you run on empty, your energy spent
May you refill and care for your own.
For compassion is strongest when fully lent
From a heart that has room to have grown.
When at last, light dimmed as 6:30 comes
Chairs resting after a long parade of care
The final notes are typed and the silence hums
Footsteps left from your practice, many burdens were shared
That you go home, with the quiet knowledge, that today mattered
Featured photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
