The Cellist...

Any Good Poem

Richard Berlin, MD, shares his poem, "The Cellist," which was recently featured in the August 2025 issue of Psychiatric Times.

The renowned summer music festival at Tanglewood takes place less than 10 minutes from Berlin's home. Berkshire residents can purchase a season pass that offers admission to all but a few of the classical concerts, which makes Tanglewood a great destination for picnics with friends, and for musical evenings under the stars. Since the Berkshires are a relatively small community, it is not uncommon for Berlin to cross paths with old friends, a patient, or a former patient. This poem is about one of those moments.

Dr Berlin has been writing a poem about his experience of being a doctor every month for the past 27 years in Psychiatric Times in a column called “Poetry of the Times.” He is an instructor in psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts. His latest book is Tender Fences.