By Ayush Singh
Bruises suggest abuse,
Avoidant eyes indicate anxiety.
A quiver in the patient’s voice…
Are they lying about their sobriety?
My first patient was an alcoholic.
She kept secrets from me too.
But I was naive at the time,
And would take her words at face-value.
I fancy myself a detective now,
Sifting through each insincerity.
Onset, location, duration…
Radiation and then severity.
I never get the full picture;
I only hear what they want to tell me.
Which makes sense after all;
Who wants to share the ugly parts of their story?
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