If not determination,
If not strength of will,
If not true passion,
If not a desire to heal
Genius is given,
But Providence earned,
Faith a constant test,
One that within burns
Maturity through the fire,
The taunting failures ahead,
The acceptance of fallibility,
The path he has not led
An optimist at heart,
But he must acknowledge reality,
He cannot survive this alone,
Balancing the boundaries of sanity
Why does he go on?
What could there be to gain?
The knowledge, yes for sure
Or just letters added to his name?
He accompanies the dead,
But there lies grace atop his head,
He cannot save the patient,
Pain covers like a blanket
The inhumanity of his interaction,
The ensuing chain reaction,
Lights dim,
Thoughts go grim
But there is more within,
Doubt, it grips him,
Does he have what it takes?
Under these high stakes
What would he do?
If only he knew,
The people he will heal,
But the grief seems so real
He strives to be better,
Scrolling through his Netter,
What could it be?
His eyes cannot see
Walking with the blind,
He doesn’t look behind,
Persevering and persisting,
Giving all, unresisting
At times he will fail,
But behind the golden veil,
There lies the future he seeks,
He listens to her speak
He is lifted off the floor,
“Go on. Give it more,”
Even if he cannot stand and falls,
He is shielded by the walls
But they are broken down,
He knows that he is found,
He cannot hide from love,
He looks to the sky above
For she was to him sent,
To change what he meant,
When of purpose he spoke,
When of triumph he did hope
For he is a man renewed,
Seeking what is true,
Giving in to the light,
Not relying on his might
Under the shade of the wise oak,
The wind whispers and heaves
The fog clears like smoke
He is overcome and relieved,
To others he commits,
But his career he wed,
Dazed by the hits,
A new road ahead
Affirmed to live stronger,
But weak in His arms,
Stubborn no longer,
Be not one to harm
A boy without faith,
But a man with God,
Freed from his weight,
He perseveres on.
Contributing Writer
University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson
Nathan Sherman is a medical student at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson.