Heartbeats

The human heartbeat creates
A regular pulse,
A pounding anticipation,
A jump of non-expectation

This, the rhythmic flow
Of life
Fills the atmosphere
That we all share. And yet
Life gets away from us,
We fall into external cadences
Our hearts beat off-kilter,
Our wavelengths lose harmony
We dance to artificial refrains
And we embrace rational thought

As we search for alignment,
We recall that life flows
Through all of us
Our hearts beat uniquely. We
Learn to harmonize their tides
We allow our pulses the courage to
Waltz with each other,
Connecting our spirits and
Restoring our wholeness

Notes from the interview that inspired this poem:

This woman’s career involved teaching medical students and physicians how to communicate, empathize, and connect with other people. It thrilled her that although the science-minded people she worked with were regulated and driven by structure and theory, they could not succeed without human connection. Every doctor she knew was driven by some scientific fascination that had its underpinnings in empathy for humanity. She loved helping science-minded people become more comfortable with empathy and human connection and was fulfilled by the corresponding improvements that she saw in health outcomes.

Interviewee: Anonymous, Educator
Listener Poet: Elle Klassen