The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine    

The Visit

Brian T. Maurer
btmaurer1@comcast.net

Retired, he sits, reclining in his chair,
A glass of water posted by his side;
His eyes take on a look of furrowed care;
They drift, and shift, then open rather wide:
The sudden sound of footsteps on the stoop
Portends the coming visit of a friend—
Perhaps the last farewell to close the loop
Before the final coming of the end.
Despite the cancer’s seeming icy grip
And winter’s deep and arduous dark days,
His lips turn up, impart a fleeting quip,
And beam a brightened greeting through the haze.
Our conversation lasts but just an hour—
Enough to warm a sweetness from the sour.

About the author

Brian T. Maurer has practiced pediatric medicine as a Physician Assistant for the past three decades.  As a clinician, he has always gravitated toward the humane aspect in patient care—what he calls the soul of medicine.  Over the past decade, Mr. Maurer has explored the illness narrative as a tool to enhance the education of medical students and cultivate an appreciation for the delivery of humane medical care.  His first book, Patients Are a Virtue, recently reviewed in The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine, is a collection of fifty-seven patient vignettes illustrating what Sir William Osler called “the poetry of the commonplace” in clinical medical practice.

Published: February 11, 2008