I try to stick with you most of the time, Dick, but I must say that if you find that "trite," then you sound like a bloke with no soul... Here's one that was written over a decade ago by children's author and socialist Michael Rosen for the 60th anniversary of the NHS. I first read it in my trade union magazine last May, when I had to spend a night in hospital, looked after wonderfully by fearful nurses and doctors after their first two months of hell: These are the hands, by Michael Rosen These are the hands That touch us first Feel your head Find the pulse And make your bed. These are the hands That tap your back Test the skin Hold your arm Wheel the bin Change the bulb Fix the drip Pour the jug Replace your hip. These are the hands That fill the bath Mop the floor Flick the switch Soothe the sore Burn the swabs Give us a jab Throw out sharps Design the lab. And these are the hands That stop the leaks Empty the pan Wipe the pipes Carry the can Clamp the veins Make the cast Log the dose And touch us last.
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