Healer's Dilemma

A child, a child of my heart though never of my name

Who shares my Gift, whose eyes though young are mine the very same

Who shares my every thought whose skillful hands I taught so well

Now hear the hardest lesson I shall ever have to tell

Young healer I have taught you all I know of wounds and pain

Of illnesses and of the herbs of blessing and of bane

Of all the usage of your gift all that I could impart

And how you learned young healer put rejoicing to my heart

But there is yet one lessoning I cannot give to you

For you must find your own way there judge what is sound and true

This lesson is the cruelest ever healer had to teach

It is which you must do when there are those you cannot reach

However great your gift there will be times when you will fail

There will be those you cannot help, your skill cannot prevail

When you fight Death and lose to him or what may yet be worse

You win to find the wreak he left regards you with a curse

Worst of all and harder still the times when its a friend

Who looks to you to bring him peace and make his torment end

What will you do young healer when there's nothing you can do

I can give only counsel for the rest is up to you

This only will I counsel you that if you build a shell

Of armor close about you then you close yourself in Hell

And if your heart should harden then your gift will fade and die

And all that you have lived and learned will then become a lie

As you must, I have faced the fear, the pain in dying eyes

Sometimes I have told the truth and sometimes gentle lies

As you will, I have faced the times my skill brings no redress

And wondered if my gift was truly meant to curse or bless

My child your healing hands are guided by your healing heart

And that is all the wisdom all my learning can impart

You take this pain upon you as you challenge life unknown

And there can be no answer here but one, and that's your own