Two poems from prison by William Hurwitz, M.D. from Arlington County Detention Center 2005. Don't be fooled by the 'Doctor Suess meets Lenny Bruce' rhyming... you can learn a lot in these poems, about the War on Doctors and about my friend Billy - what sort of man he is, and what sort of physician.
Dr. Alex DeLuca

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I�m locked up in jail convicted of crime Berated, assailed with insult and time Enough to consume the years I have left A sentence so long it leaves me bereft Of prospect to live to see freedom�s light It�s hard to imagine a much grimmer plight Yet through the ordeal my soul is at peace Sustained by your love and the hope of release. In spite of the stigma, in spite of the pain A puzzling enigma, hard to explain Just why did I do it? How could I dare To sacrifice all to give patient care? Just what did I gain and what was my point That led me to risk my life in the joint? My friends all advised me �Let patients go� To their consternation, I just said �No� At least as to those I thought I could aid With motive so pure, why be afraid The idea that I wanted drugs on the street Was absurd on its face � a sure path to defeat But what to do with those who abused And likewise with those the cops had accused? To keep them as patients was not to condone Abuse and deception � to make it my own I honestly thought I could help them reform Too trusting and blind � too far from the norm Of prudence and caution that fear would require I hoped that my trust and faith would inspire Reciprocal acts of contrition and health But I was deceived by lies and by stealth. My judgment was flawed I must now confess Na�ve to believe that I would impress With compassion and care their pain to relieve Those who set out to exploit and deceive. Not only was I a soft, easy, mark The target du jour of addict and narc What's galling beyond the lies and betrayal Corrupt and absurd like my life in jail Is the claim that I'm the responsible one For those who deceived for profit and fun That those whose illicit drug dealing thrived Were victims, no less, of a dastardly plot As if I intended for them to be caught In the snare of addiction and forced into crime For this perverse logic I'm doing my time.

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I�m happy my case is being appealed Injustice and error will soon be revealed The issues are many and good ones at that With precedent strong and logic that�s pat And if I might be perfectly candid My case should soon be reversed and remanded What follows are points we�ll make in our brief The basis in law for judicial relief. My records were seized without probable cause Overbreadth in the warrant defying our laws A general search is never allowed Specific items must be avowed The listing was absent � affidavit sealed A Supreme Court case will be revealed That holds on such facts that a search doesn�t fly To the evidence seized, one must say goodbye. The jury was left somewhat confused They asked for help, but the judge refused �The bounds of medicine� he couldn�t describe Or when to an addict, one could prescribe Instructing the jury �good faith� to ignore Was something the Courts had not done before Without good faith, the safe harbor was lost With just that instruction, a line had been crossed. For absent intent, could I have Mens Rea? If good faith was there, where�s Culpa Mea? One of the rulings that prejudiced me Did not allow the jury to see The FAQ�s which the DEA Had published with hope that it would allay Doctors� concerns that treating pain Would risk prosecution again and again. National experts were all involved Hoping that conflicts could be resolved That cops and docs could clearly declare Rules that promoted good patient care The principles published were fair and humane Doctors could even treat addicts with pain. The document bolstered our position So we moved to allow it as a party admission Motion Denied � and with artful evasion The pretext provided � it was not regulation. Embarrassed by what their experts had cast The DEA pulled those FAQs fast With nary a thought of the damage they�d do To the good will and trust of the doctors who Had worked so hard and with such high hopes But were made now to feel like chumps and like dopes. A charade it had been. That was now clear. That act demonstrated they were never sincere When push came to shove, prosecution came first The hoped for concurrence was sadly reversed And doctors betrayed and in fear now abstain From treating their patients� intractable pain.