By Dr Joseph Hawkins, Consultant in Palliative Medicine, Clinical lead for End of Life Care, Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Foundation Trust. Twitter: @JoeHawk75825077

The Wood of simple Words was first, the construction began
Strong and supple
built upon
Simplicity- Mother and Father
It felt strong and formed so much
That first timber
warped
Too green, too naive it could not
Survive all that happened
But I learned that rock came next
Eternal strong,
Unbowing in the elements
It sat like grey statements of thought
And learning
Too soon it crumbled because it couldn’t change
So change took it and turned it to dust.
Now I stand upon glass, hard but moving it
Allows the new through it with little resistance.
Yet I feel exposed
Standing upon my tower and looking upon it’s foundations
I realise that all I had is unstable
And all I have is transparent.
Yet I offer it to you.
My Tower.
your Heart.
If you’ll have it.

-Dedicated to Katie, my heart.

Also by this Author:
The Palliative Times. Special education issue
The nature of joy
The Cinderella phenomenon