The Healer
Robert William Service 1874 – 1958
"Tuberculosis should not be,"
The old professor said.
"If folks would hearken unto me
'Twould save a million dead.
Nay, no consumptive needs to die,
--A cure have I.
"From blood of turtle I've distilled
An elixir of worth;
Let every sufferer be thrilled
And sing for joy of earth;
Yet every doctor turns his back
And calls me quack.
"Alas! They do not want to cure,
For sickness is their meat;
So persecution I endure,
And die in dark defeat:
Ye lungers, listen to my call!
--I'll save you all."
The old Professor now is dead,
And turtles of the sea,
Knowing their blood they need not shed,
Are festive in their glee:
While sanitoriums are crammed
With legions dammed.
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Submitted on May 13, 2011
Modified on March 05, 2023
- 37 sec read
- 115 Views
Quick analysis:
Scheme | ABABCC DEDEFF GHGHII BABAJJ |
---|---|
Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
Characters | 794 |
Words | 125 |
Stanzas | 4 |
Stanza Lengths | 6, 6, 6, 6 |
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"The Healer" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 12 Jun 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/32552/the-healer>.
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