Three Encounters (A poem)

Theeksita Selvakumar is a medical student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London

Shupi Ahmed is a medical student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London

Zahraa Bustani is a medical student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London

We are medical students who have who have been inspired and moved by the storied nature of the consultations we saw in general practice as a three-part poem. Whilst inspired by our encounters, none of the poems refers to a specific patient but represent our combined experience.

First encounter

A mother’s role is to protect her son,
Nurture him and support him at his weakest,
But now she sees him as a burden,
She feels guilt at her deepest,

Feelings of failure torment her,
Having trouble sleeping and eating,
Bottling her emotions and hiding away,
A weight off her shoulders upon their meeting,

Silence filled the room,
It was comfortable and warm,
No judgement or discrimination,
A refuge from the storm,

Smiling and asking open questions,
Listening with full attention,
Offering advice and sympathy,
Removing the unspoken tension,

Second Encounter

A patient on end of life care,
Smiling as the days pass by,
Putting on a show for visitors,
Watching the dark sky,

Untouched meals left on tables
Puzzles scattered around the room,
But her mind is clear,
The end darkened by gloom,

Listening with concernment,
Providing solutions to ease the pain,
Slowly opening to the doctor,
A ray of hope beaming amongst the rain,

Once refusing to take her medications,
Offering empathy through soothing words,
The feeling of reluctance fades away,
Recognising peace, as she watches the birds,

Third encounter

Overwhelmed with countless struggles,
Surrounded by a crowd but alone,
Constantly fighting battles in her mind,
Alongside the wars waging at home,

Craving the feeling of euphoria and escape,
Unable to sit still, her mind restless,
Reaching for another with shaking hands,
Her misery seems endless,

Dragging herself to the GP,
A sense of relief settles over her mind,
A student sitting in,
Listening to her worries, friendly and kind,

Offering words of compassion,
“You are not alone” she says
Guiding her towards support networks,
A path visible through the haze,

THE END

Featured Photo by Carla Quario on Unsplash