The Litany Poem by Sidi Mahtrow

The Litany



You've heard it all before
When called to justice
His (or her) suffering you can't ignore
As the 'victim' pleads innocence.

He said in a tearful apology,
'I hope before they make
A final decision about me,
They will be patient,
They will be forgiving,
And they will not be overly strict
Or harsh as they form their opinion.'

He suffered,
He was a victim:
Proclaimed his innocence,
As other people in his office
were responsible.
He compared himself
To the captain of a ship
Who is blamed
For the conduct
Of his crew.

The reason for his actions:
He grew up without a father
Who was killed by a drunken driver
When he was only 2 years old.

His family
Suffered from
Threats and
Discrimination.

His wife of 22 years has
Alzheimer's disease.
So the court was told.
She maintained her husband
Had done no wrong.
She wondered
How she would raise
Their seven children alone.
'Just think of me and my children, '
She asked the judge.

His lawyer insisted the doctor
Had some sort of mental illness
They maintained a lifestyle
That was 'beyond spartan.'
Said the lawyer.
The family lived in modest homes
In Sarasota and Miami.
And yet he billed the Government
More than 3.7 Million dollars.
'Something caused him to
Lose his moral compass.'
His lawyer said.
He is a devoted family man.
He donated thousands to charity.

The lawyer claimed
'The doctor suffered from
Head trauma from two accidents,
One while he was in college
And the other
In 2001 that made him unfit
To continue with his sentencing.'

***
Alas, the dermatologist
Grew up in one of the more
Prosperous families in Arcadia,
They owned several farms
And other real estate.
Actually in Arcadia Florida,
Everyone was 'dirt-poor.'
He went to medical school.
He practiced medicine in West Florida.

He bilked patients and
Medicare for over four million dollars
As he falsely diagnosed
One hundred percent of his patients
As having skin cancer and
Submitted them to needless treatments.

Unless he receives a reduced sentence
He is to serve 22 years.
Is he just another victim
Of Society,
Not responsible for his actions?

Or maybe he and his family are
Just plain rotten to the core!

***

The above was reported in The Ledger (Lakeland, Florida; October 6,2006) , on the sentencing of Dr. Michael Rosin, a dermatologist, who bilked Medicare for at least $3.7 million for unnecessary surgery. The amount patients paid was not revealed.

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