The Old Psychologist Poem by David McLansky

When I look back on my career,
My fight to stem the madness,
To temper all the raving fears,
Sour wisdom for their sadness;
When I review my stubborn cases,
The ransacked, desperate lives,
The nervous, sullen, tearful faces
Proving love was false denied;
When I recall the brace of words
Hurled down for my inspection,
The silent weights, the thoughts unheard,
Still fearful of detection;
When sleepless I recall their voices,
The briefs for sanity,
Reviewing all the foolish choices,
The wild insanity;
I question all the good I've done
Wise sitting in my chair,
Posing as the Sacred One,
Hiding my despair