Epidemiology at 5:00pm

​
​Bewitched 
by the lemon rind spiraling    
my neighbor’s rocks glass
I think of scurvy.

I toast the trick of citrus
and each sailor 
too late to receive it.
I sip respecting 
that early clinical trial,
Dr. Lind on the high seas
and all who stop misery 
through observation,
all who labor out-of-sight.
 
In class we learn
epi   demos   logos
the study of what befalls
a population, 
a cocktail of Greek words.
We learn that when
public health is working 
we don’t notice it. 

I toast those who do.



"Epidemiology at 5:00pm" is included in The Book of Jobs: Poems About Work. This digital anthology published by the journal One Art on Labor Day, September 1, 2025, is edited by Erin Murphy. Learn more here. The anthology will be re-launched by Penn State University Libraries Open Publishing in 2026. I am pleased that the poem found a place in this collection of truly varied voices and work experiences. "Epidemiology at 5:00pm" recognizes public health researchers, advocates and educators. I'm intending it in the broadest sense, but right now I especially thank CDC employees past and present for their tremendous dedication.