You lose
your pen with
the red and blue and black ink
when the attending asks to borrow it
with an impatient hand
on inpatient rounds.
You lose
your voice when
they stand around
waiting
and the monitor hoots
and the family stares
and the fellow says,
speak up!
You lose
your list
somewhere on the walk
between
Bed 21 and Bed 42
and you swore you had it
but now it’s gone.
But
you never lose
your empathy —
folded,
tucked away
in your breast pocket
scribbled with reasons why.
Poetry Thursdays is an initiative that highlights poems by medical students and physicians. If you are interested in contributing or would like to learn more, please contact our editors.
Contributing Writer
UC San Diego School of Medicine
Andrew is a fourth year medical student at University of California, San Diego SOM in La Jolla, CA, class of 2020. In 2013, he graduated from Dartmouth College with a Bachelor of Arts in history. He enjoys collecting vintage wristwatches and writing flash fiction. He is currently applying into emergency medicine.