Dec. 17, 2019

Sestina for a Pathologist

Emilia Fox, up to her elbows in death,
focuses on the cadaver for a diagnosis;
her sharp nose detects blood
as she treads through a crime
scene; she catalogues disease
and the victim’s genetics.

Words and pathologists - genetics
has low association compared to death,
which is the word, though diagnosis
features too, also rated is blood.
On telly, adventures of crime
star pathologists, not disease.

In truth, pathologists focus on disease;
consider our genetics;
serve life rather than death;
are seventy percent part of all diagnoses;
particularly successful in blood
illnesses; spend very little time on crime.

They focus on petrie dishes, not crime;
their microscope skills identify disease;
contribute to research in genetics;
reduce incidences of death.
Without them there’d be few diagnoses
that save, or, help with disorders of blood.

Haematologists work successfully with blood
that is cancerous, are not involved with crime;
help with those rare conditions and diseases
caused by a predisposition in genetics.
Their work prevents death,
using their great skill in diagnosis.

The State - involved in diagnosis,
because failures in reporting of blood
sample analyses, possibly a crime -
faced the anger of patients with diseases
that were not part of their genetics.
It probably caused premature deaths.

Unlike Emilia, very few, work with death
or crime. Their gifts are diagnosis, managing
blood diseases and repairing genetics.

Peter Clarke 2019