wake up, orange sunshine fills my eyes.
feed my bunny, sweet smell of coriander.
i miss home.
change into scrubs, head for the bus.
i wonder what my sister is doing right now.
it’s cold here, i text my lover.
walk to class, today we dissect.
grandma is dying.
open the abdominal cavity.
peel back the layers of fascia.
i miss my parents.
listen to my professors.
peristalsis, achalasia, portal vein.
this is what i prayed for, isn’t it?
but my dog is dying.
my childhood room is collecting dust.
i miss my friends.
i miss my love.
grandma is dying.
read my textbook,
anxiety fills my chest.
i miss my home.
study. move.
move.
i move. i work until the sun goes down,
until i see the sunshine reflect off the skyscrapers in front of me,
filling my eyes with orange once more.
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.
Audrey Lyu is a first year medical student at Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL. She graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2023 with a degree in Neuroscience. You would find her making art or playing with her bunny in her free time. Audrey hopes to pursue a career in psychiatry.