Old is just as good

I stumbled on this old poem today, a relic from 1997. I imagine there are quite a few readers who know nothing about Jack Kevorkian, MD, a proponent for assisted suicide.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Kevorkian).

Having worked in the ICU as recent as two years ago, I witnessed very little change in the use of intensive therapies, (with similar poor outcomes), little changed since 1997. But of course, we have to keep trying. Fortunately, major strides have been made in other areas of medicine.

Still, I admire Jack Kervorkian, he was a pioneer bringing attention to end of life issues.

When I Retire

When I retire I plan to become

A member of the KKK,

Askance you look

You gasp and fret

But let me have my say;

Kevorkian’s Killer Kadets

He’s a pioneer on a mission,

At the forefront of liberation

I won’t have time for fishin’,

I’m joining the KKK.

After twenty years in critical care

I’ve seen my share of death,

Too many people kept alive

Because we control the breath,

But plenty of folks would make the decision

To cross to the other side,

If the final trip down the River Styx

Were like the ultimate limousine ride.

In the modern world we’ve cloaked our death

In shrouds of pain and fear,

Burying the steel-lined casket

We mourn the bones each year,

But as the 21st century approaches

It’s time to look death in the eye,

Let’s make a date with the afterlife

“Whoopee, it’s time to die!”

This is where the KKK

Can help you plan your trip,

Pick your favorite poison

And remember to leave a tip,

Before your third round of chemotherapy

Or your fourth amputation this year,

Demand to take control of your life

We’ll help overcome your fear.

If you live in relentless pain

The KKK is waiting,

No point in going on until

You’re fit for carbon dating,

The theory, that your suffering

Is God’s will, as some would claim,

Is just another fallacy

In the religious con-man’s game,

Cry for mercy, tithe me

He just might intercede,

Your suffering is a special moment

Just go ahead and bleed.

In my world, that’s a bold faced lie

The Big Guy is my friend,

He wouldn’t have me suffer

For the duration or the end,

So, I’ll dedicate my energy

The KKK has defined my role,

To alleviate the suffering

Of any interested soul.

1997