Semantics Poem by Lawrence S. Pertillar

Fear. Grief. Suffering and pain.
Seems to be,
A global human experience.
Needing no language interpreter,
To explain...
Why tears are cried.
Or where one hurts.
Having this understood to comprehend.

And yet...
Many can not express,
Having concern or empathy.
If from their point of view,
There is improper use of semantics.
That will enable them to correctly,
Evaluate the depths...
Of one's sorrows felt to feel.

"Doctor?
You look distraught and panicked."

-The scale!
Someone has taken my scale! -

"Scale? "

-Yes.
The one I use during my examination.
To help me determine,
One's agony, suffering and pain.
And I am not familiar with foreign languages.
How will I know from one to ten,
Which medications I should prescribe to them? -

"But...
Aren't you the doctor?
Didn't you graduate from medical school? "

-What has that got to do with anything?
I'm not a hound dog.
People expect me to be that too! -