Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine

Two for the Road

(Dedicated to Dr Joel Carpio Mendoza, a Nuclear Medicine physician who graduated from SLMC Residency Training Program in 2013, who died in Laguna also on April 4, 2020.)

They say that “lightning does not strike twice”
Oh yeah? Well, we have proof: that is all lies!
No sooner than the ink from the pen for one poem dries
Here comes news from Laguna that Colleague #2 dies.

Ano ba yan! Kahapon lang hindi pa tapos magdalamhati
Itong aming maliit na Nuclear Medicine community;
Eto na naman ang balitang nagdudulot nang pighati
Wala na bang katapusan itong si Kamatayan ay naghahari?

Oh Joel! Oh Joel! You are young, low-key but very promising,
Scholarly, academician with a great future so scintillating;
Would have been a good material ready for exporting
Life & career suddenly cut short: oh is it not so devastating!

Why must it be so, about the saying that “the good die young”?
For whatever reason: their lives so…sayang na sayang!
Masakit mamatayan ng anak para sa mga magulang
Humahagulgol kahit buo ang loob, kahit anong tapang!

For some: Life is so short, so fragile, so unpredictable
Alive & full of energy today, fate so ineluctable;
Our prayer to the Lord Almighty, full of mercy and so venerable
That Doc Joel in your bosom to keep is entirely justifiable.

– Dr. Teofilo San Luis, Jr.

Philippine Society of Nuclear Medicine

From Here to Eternity

(Dedicated to the memory of Dr. Gerard Fabian L. Goco, Chair of the Department of Nuclear Medicine, St Luke’s Medical Center, who succumbed to COVID-19, at 10:20 AM April 4, 2020 at age 52.)

What now, World? The hour glass has now been made empty,
With the passing away of our dear friend & colleague, Raldy;
He fought a good fight for weeks in bed alone & solitary
He might have had even a glimpse ahead of his journey.

‘Twas in 2000 when Raldy with 4 others into an urgent task deployed:
To man the Department that was suddenly made void;
With their help its services continued, no was was put on hold
From then on: Up! Up! And Away! Looking back, how we’ve grown old.

Through the years, Raldy was always a mainstay & mentor
To the succeding wave of youngsters eager for a tutor;
Now, they are themselves colleagues filled with vim & vigor
Interpreting scans & images generated from atomic scintillators.

Was it not only 4 years ago in our small scientific organization
He held its realm with great competence & dedication?
The brand of leadership attests to tasks done with utmost satisfaction
Personal & inter-relational both exemplars in every profession.

His earthly travel, you, nasty COVID cut very prematurely
Don’t you know how it pains all of us so grievously?
Consoled we are with the firm belief that our dear colleague Raldy
Is now accompanied by angels along the road to eternity.

– Dr. Teofilo San Luis, Jr.