You suckled babies, Used the biceps I studied To lift and cradle Your rising suns. You gazed soft-eyed Optic nerves firing, Muscles lifting delighted smile, Nerves and muscles you later let me see. In life, you were a mother, Giving love and beating heart To raise new family generations. Cancer took you, But before your... Continue Reading →
Two Sides to a Door by Varesh Gorabi
On one side of the door, the doctors are very interested In your case You have such a rare condition, and such a complex history Everyone wants to write a report And marvel at everything that’s happened They haven’t seen a patient quite like you And your care will be challenging and new But on... Continue Reading →
By Ayush Singh
Bruises suggest abuse, Avoidant eyes indicate anxiety. A quiver in the patient’s voice... Are they lying about their sobriety? My first patient was an alcoholic. She kept secrets from me too. But I was naive at the time, And would take her words at face-value. I fancy myself a detective now, Sifting through each insincerity.... Continue Reading →
A Dissection of Soul by Sunskruthi Krishna
By the sterile glow of intense, harsh fluorescent light, Open caskets fill the room, a lost graveyard in clear sight, A cadaver lies cold with a pallid disposition. Adorned in blue, a grim student nears with a shaky hand, Peering into empty psyche of which time did not stand, The body is frigid, quiet, in... Continue Reading →
Loss and Clipboards by Christopher Ricther
*snap* Upon the board are papers clipped. A date, a name, a note, no time. For ticks passed by are one less breath, to save their life from grasps of death. *snap* Brought comfort though the pain is great. New orders written, bottles filled. More papers added to the fold, as fate begins to grab... Continue Reading →
Beyond Words by Alekhya Gurram and Rahul Nanduri
In medicine, we are constantly taught to ask,to unravel stories through questions,to seek the core of a patient’s truth. Yet, stories breathe beyond syllables, beyond speech. Emotions slip through the spaces between words. When language is lacking, we listen to the quiet, a subtle grimace, a trembling hand, a longing sigh, these too are voices... Continue Reading →
embryology by Arati Bendapudi
tell me again where it all started with the egg, or was it the chicken? or perhaps, neural crest cells, endoderm, mesenchyme? my mother tells me trees hold the answer but does she mean the nimble branches of my texan backyard flexed and reflexed as if struck on the popliteal or those with leaves of... Continue Reading →
Where the Wind Takes What We Cannot Hold by Neha Sunkara
There is a place where the wind collectswhat we cannot carry—it scrapes against the hollow bones of trees,pressing between the willows,pulling whispers from the earth. It moves through me, too.At first, only lightly,lifting the edges of things I thought were mine—the weight of names, the echo of handsonce warm, now still. The wind lingers in... Continue Reading →
Healing Tides by Anonymous
gulf salt and breeze blowa sea of white around bluewaves crash and hearts beatbrine mist soothes the skinpulse of waves and hearts in syncsalt mends open woundsgalvy skies in goldthe tides and times rise and fallall are seen and healed
Welcome Death by Miranda Hernandez
Disease takes the mind Who is she? He asks. It started to happen More and more, I confess Disease takes the mind I’m not hungry, he says. The body is wasting His rib cage I caress. Disease takes the mind Who is he? I cry. His goofy banter Disappeared with each breath. Disease takes the... Continue Reading →
Medical Humanities & Arts Anthology 