They Smile
They come to work in pastel uniforms,
And, greet their patients with their brightest smile.
They meet and know each patient by his name.
They bring to this most cheerless place a warmth
Of friendliness, despite the bone-cold fear
That floods the room.
Reclining chairs surround, the space where
Patients sit as chemo drips through needle-fangs,
From snake-like tubes that wind around the tree stands
By their sides.
And, yet, despite the anger, pain and fright displayed
Upon the faces of the patients, young and old,
The nurses smile while consciously
Aware that death stands shadow-dim behind each chair,
As cancer does its devil-dance,
While Hope and Faith stand ever by.
poem by Lynn W. Petty
Added by Poetry Lover
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