Compassion and poverty <br />sit side by side <br />at the family clinic <br />where I wait this morning. <br /> <br />The walls of reception <br />are papered with notices <br />of flue shots and heart disease <br />and paintings by children. <br /> <br />Old couples natter <br />through cheerful false teeth, <br />tired chests heaving, <br />breathing too hard. <br /> <br />Doctors move swiftly <br />in sneakers, speak kindly. <br />Treat patients like family <br />with dignity and humour. <br /> <br />The air is bustling <br />and sprinkled with coughing. <br /> <br />An hour later, I am called. <br />The nurse completes her examination. <br />I leave with a smile.<br /><br />Alison Cassidy<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/annual-pap-smear/
