A dozen years ago, I put the reins
and office ownership into his hands.
Though time and he have changed it, he maintains
a waning practice. And he understands
enough to earn enough to compensate
himself, another, me for daily call
and half a day there, when I allocate
my effort to preventing someone’s fall.

Diversifying Tuesday so, I heard
his plan to close it in a year and sighed.
To say I’ll miss the labor is absurd,
but I then realized I’d miss him beside
me talking. We devised a new technique –
no matter what, we’ll still lunch once a week.