We know what makes us ill. 
When we&rsquo;re ill word says 
You&rsquo;re the one to make us well

For ten years, so we hear 
You learned how to heal in elegant schools 
Built at the people&rsquo;s expense 
And to get your knowledge 
Dispensed a fortune 
That means you can make us well.

Can you make us well?

When we visit you 
Our clothes are ripped and torn 
And you listen all over our naked body. 
As to the cause of our illness 
A glance at our rags would be more 
Revealing. One and the same cause wears out 
Our bodies and our clothes.

The pain in our shoulder comes 
You say, from the damp; and this is also the cause 
Of the patch on the apartment wall. 
So tell us then: 
Where does the damp come from?

Too much work and too little food 
Make us weak and scrawny. 
Your prescription says: 
Put on more weight. 
You might as well tell a fish 
Go climb a tree

How much time can you give us? 
We see: one carpet in your flat costs 
The fees you take from 
Five thousand consultations

You&rsquo;ll no doubt protest 
Your innocence. The damp patch 
On the wall of our apartments 
Tells the same story.

&nbsp;

This poem was originally written in German and first published in 1938.

Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@tarikulxraana?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Tarikul Raana</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/an-old-man-carrying-a-large-shovel-on-his-shoulder-pU7SGnNEiQY?utm_content=creditCopyText&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_source=unsplash">Unsplash</a>

A poem written almost a century ago that holds relevance till date.

A Worker’s Speech to a Doctor

Bertolt Brecht (1898&ndash;1956) was a German dramatist, poet, theatre director, and practitioner, who was the founder of a new theatre style called epic theatre.

Bertolt Brecht (1898–1956) was a German dramatist, poet, theatre director, and practitioner, who was the founder of a new theatre style called epic theatre.

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Bertolt Brecht

Bertolt Brecht

A Worker’s Speech to a Doctor

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