The Legacy We Leave - Poetry

By Peter Smyth, MSW, RSW

The file’s in order

Thank God for that

Is this social work?

I’m feeling flat

Love to go for coffee

Love to have a chat

But there’s stuff to do

As a matter of fact

Got to write that report

Make a call or two

I’ll see you next month

Unless there’s more stuff to do

My computer is my master

E-mails to read

I’ll sit right here

‘Til my eyeballs bleed

Don’t have a crisis

Don’t say how you feel

It’s not a good time

My caseload’s unreal

If you can just hang on

Don’t use or cut your wrist

For God’s sake don’t AWOL

You’ll hardly be missed

Why did you run

Don’t threaten my control

Am I your worker?

I’m getting quite old

I’ll put you in care

That’s such a shame

Follow the rules, please

By the way, what’s your name?

You can’t get ahold of me?

What do you mean?

I’m the best damn social worker

You’ve ever seen

It’s just that I’m busy

You must understand

It’s all very stressful

Nothing is planned

I’m doing my best

I really do like my job

I feel so defeated

My mind is a fog

But at the end of the day

What legacy do we leave

To these unfortunate kids

Who have so much to grieve

Will they remember the paper

Or the e-mails I get

Or will it be the times

We actually met

So what are we thinking

When we’re sitting at our desk

Are we making a difference?

Are we passing the test?

Being with the kids

Is where cynicism dies

They are the disconnected

We’re important in their lives