Skimming all the products
for hair gel and lotion,
Just another day
going through the motions.
Checking out the store
for a good deal,
Not being eyed
as if I might steal.
Walking to my car
with my hood on my head,
Without the slightest worry
of being shot dead.
While driving my own car,
perfectly sober,
I’m statistically less likely
to be pulled over.
Don’t care what I wear,
dark clothes or light,
I’ll go on a run
during day or at night.
Less likely to be punished
in my own school.
In movies I look like
the people considered ‘cool.’
When working in clinic
I don’t tend to question
if I was let in
due to my complexion.
With first glance impressions,
at my lowest or highest,
I’m less likely to experience
negative implicit bias.
I’m viewed as a professional,
my background unassumed,
I don’t worry as much
about being ungroomed.
When I look around
there are similarities I see,
Many of my role models
look akin to me.
What do I look like?
I’ll give you a clue:
My skin is pale
and my eyes are blue.
If I go through childbirth
I’m less likely to die.
The news show more deaths
and I just don’t understand why.
With the injustices
that we all see,
I’m torn and confused
as to how this could be.
My hands are folded,
my heart strings tug,
my ears want to listen,
my arms want to hug.
There’s so much more to do,
there’s so much more to say,
I just hope we can change
and create a new way.
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.
Medical Student Editor and Contributing Writer
East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine
Holly Ingram is a fourth-year medical student at the East Carolina University Brody School of Medicine in Greenville, North Carolina. In 2016, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science in biology with minors in chemistry and anthropology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her free time, Holly enjoys playing soccer and visiting waterfalls. After medical school, Holly would like to pursue a career in pediatrics.