You’ve taken everything
Nothing is left
I once was something
And now I’m nothing
But a shell
But a remnant
But a small shadow of what once was there
You’ve beaten me down
Until I was fractured
But you kept beating
Never to stop
Never to let me breathe
Never to let me recover
They said it’ll change
It hasn’t changed
It seems there is no respite
There is no rest
There is no life outside of you
You’ve made sure of that
That I have no escape
That I’ll be indebted to you
But how then can it be
That there are days
And weeks
That I love you
That I am grateful for you
Because you are the path
To my dream
To my future
You taught me the craft
I was called to
Yet, there are two sides of you
A light side
A dark side
It seems I cannot have one without the other
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
Medical College of Wisconsin
Sarah is a third year medical student at Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, Wisconsin class of 2023. In 2019, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Science in both biochemistry and Spanish language. She enjoys spending time with her husband Ben, creating artwork, and practicing pilates in her free time. After graduating from medical school, Sarah would like to pursue a career in orthopaedic surgery.