Skimming the surface of human misery
The telephone shrills; I put my headset on
to hear and type one in a chain of cases,
presented by the crisis team clinicians
for the o.k. on treatment dispositions.
To hear, and type, one in a chain, of cases,
I need to link small truths hid in the details,
for the o.k. on treatment dispositions
helpful for near-suicides or psychotics.
I need to link small truths hid in the details.
Diagnoses don’t tell the whole stories
helpful for near-suicides, or psychotics,
tortured kids or slowly dying addicts.
Diagnoses don’t tell the whole stories
presented by the crisis team clinicians,
tortured kids or slowly dying addicts.
The telephone shrills; I put my head set on.
~ Wry Welwood
Late 20th century
re-edited April 2021
Apologies to anyone offended by such language as “psychotics,” “tortured kids,” “near-suicides” or “addicts,” terms which objectify human beings in pain. That is what insurance companies do. At that job far longer than I wanted to be, I did my best to direct suffering people to levels of humane care that could give them relief. Given systemic shortcomings, my best wasn’t always good enough. Eventually I was able to use my skills and education as a counselor in direct care. ~WW