The Art and The Science

A Thank You. This ward, this place of Brokenwhole heroes and heroines And those who do more than merely work here; They are the combination of The art and the science. The science - Done carefully, the oncology And so many other 'ologies'; The treatments, the decisions, The hard calls and consultations Behind drawn blue curtains. The science I understand little, But trust those that do. (I try to imagine a fully AI-ed And robot-ised ward, and cannot.) The art: From the porters to the professors, And all those crucial ones in between, They are the art; they are the artists. They soften the rough edges, With care and perseverance, Honest and no promises. All of them bring art to the science, The art of humanity, Giving it a name and a face, Lessen the fear and soften the blow. And the patients! Artists too, Knowing and understanding. We communicate at times With only a nod And no need for words at all. We know; We understand. In sum, I am surrounded By the art and the science, Surrounded by the artists Who embody the broken and the whole, And the humanity of it all. And so, Welcome to the Oncology Day Ward.