The Blade

Kevin R. Loughlin
Boston, Massachusetts, USA

The blade slashes through the skin
Not in violence
But in cure
It is held not by an assailant
But by a surgeon

The same instrument
But with such cross purposes
As a surgeon, I know the fear and anticipation
That proceeds the strike
Assailants must feel the same

Ironic, violence and healing
Both take training and skill
Mysteries both, which I will never fully understand
My privilege is to hold the scalpel and not the knife
And help, if I can

KEVIN R. LOUGHLIN, MD,MBA was born in New York City and raised on Long Island. He received a B.A. from Princeton University, a M.D. from New York Medical College, a MBA from Boston University and a MA(Hon) from Harvard University. He has been a member of the division of urology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital since 1983. He is a trustee of the American Board of Urology and a member of the board of directors of the American Urological Society.

Winter 2015  |  Sections  |  Poetry