"love and discipline" or "strong, strong medicine"

does it really come down to this - to a moment
when an M.D. decides - no more love no more
discipline - just strong, strong medicine - a life
in pause - i see it when i visit my court appointed
children - living among fosters and guards - a
blankness in their eyes - this is not how a child's
life was meant to be lived their handshake tells
me but i can do little more than assure that food
will be present and clothes and school and for
each to do good as their parents continue their
own self medication of heroin and coke and such
other prescriptions - yet if we paused and took
a look and drilled in them love and discipline i

imagine that there would be less need for M.D.s 
and even less need for J.D.s appointed to lost souls