20
still
except
her chest rising, falling
tubes in her mouth
fluid moving in messy lines
over her edematous body
10
silent
except
glass door opening, closing
monitor alarms beeping
hurried footsteps
of her nurse
0
asystole
her nurse says
to the doctor
in a voice
as flat as the static line
on the monitor
0
silent
except
the doctor’s steady footsteps
light flashing in glassy eyes
final gesture to the RT
ventilator
off
still
her livid body
alone in a dark room
no more beepings
no more lights
silent
still
Image credit: A portrait of death in modern America (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Niels_Olson
Poetry Thursdays is an initiative that highlights poems by medical students. If you are interested in contributing or would like to learn more, please contact our editors.
Contributing Writer
University of California, Riverside School of Medicine
Margaret is a fourth-year medical student at University of California, Riverside School of Medicine, class of 2022. She has a Master of Science in computer science from University of California, San Diego and a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering and computer sciences from University of California, Berkeley. After graduating medical school, Margaret would like to pursue a career in psychiatry, with a focus on the prevention/early intervention of psychiatric disorders and innovations in mental health. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, music, and ballet.