My Old Country Doctor
They tell me, I just turned 100 years old today,
that's news to me, I stopped keeping track.
So, here I am, well past my prime, reminiscing of the past,
a past so long ago...we'll just call it my childhood.
Days were gray in a tapestry of colored wonders,
Springs of blinding golden yellows, emerald greens,
and crimson reds.
Summers so hot, you took every chance you could,
to sneek off and take a dip in the creek...after chores of course!
Fall's fauna with exploding eruptions of fire, color,
and flame...like fireworks blistering the sky!
Winters so frigid, icicles hung like, the Sword of Damocles,
or millions of years of cavernous stalactites!
Towering, tree-trunked monoliths, taunting mountains,
daring to be challenged!
Crystal clear waters flowing like a lullaby,
through the majesty of it all.
Such beauty surrounding such poverty,
it was kind of a strange case of yin and yang.
But one thing always brightened the mood,
even when you weren't sick.
"Doc" Bloom would show up at your door with a wry smile,
his medical bag, with stethoscope around his neck,
and a rose in his hand.
You knew he was there to either cure your sniffles,
or was just making his rounds for dinner.
He'd arrive, as usual, in a rickety rickshaw, that was given to him,
as payment, for services rendered.
Hair blown back from age and his horse, "Rose,"
who just loved to glide in the breeze.
Anxious parents with illed and chilled children,
we're quickly comforted with soft words of encouragement.
He knew all their aches and pains, hell, to him...
They were "his" children!
He had brought every new child in town,
into what he called, the "blessed light,"
and "Doc" felt an obligation to tend to his flock...
his "family" by all measures.
Driving for miles, him and Rose, with a rose in tow,
smiling like a little kid that just brought home their first "A!"
All these visits, paid for, with whatever they had that day.
Poultry and dairy products were usually the standard form of currency.
But, Doc ate well, and well, he was always welcome to sit down,
along with rose, at any table in town.
Because you knew, when Doc showed up at your door,
he was bringing with him, the love of his job,
and the love of his patients, who had never lost their patience,
with him...for all these most memorable years!
Besides, when family comes to call,
it's always good to know that...home is where the heart is!
Copyright © Randy Freie | Year Posted 2025
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