Do No Harm

Do No Harm There is a woman in Karachiwho gives birthin a filthy hospital bed.She lay, separated by a thin curtainfrom a man with shrapnelin his leg,his burnt skin hanginglike ribbons. In Rwanda,in great mother Africais a tentwith the shivering,the dying.Children and menin shock,from a lack of blood, food, fresh water. I’ve heard the largest causeof childhood deathis diarreah.How’d we let that happen? It is hard to tellfriend from enemy in Basra.Bombs hit a wedding party,assumed to be Al Qaida.Enough of those kinds of accidentsand we’ll have no need to make distinctions anymore. Do no harmin the country,nor in the brightest downtown.If only we applied that oath. Who does more evil?Is it the abortionistfor killing the unborn?Or the protesterfor not considering the woman,and her child’s future health?Perhaps it is the manfor splitting, for finding a flight of fancy.Who claims creditfor the works of Mengele,and his cruel vivisections?Did his findings end upin our medical practices? No, do no harmto our enemies,nor those to whom we are at peace.For, if nothing else,what is the true measure of humanity,if not our compassion to each other?