Poetry by Second-Year College of Medicine Student

A poem titled “Circle of Life,” by second-year Northeast Ohio Medical University College of Medicine student Puja Mohan, was recently featured by in-Training, an online peer-reviewed publication for medical students.

Read Mohan’s poem below.

Circle of Life

A loud cry as we enter the world.
A silent cry as we depart.

Eyes widen to discover unfamiliar territory,
eyes close to enter the unknown.

We flail and fidget in our first moments,
then stiffen and harden as our breath fades away.

We outstretch our arms towards love and attachment,
then attain independence before we forever detach.

We arrive naive to the concept of purpose,
then depart with only a perception, uncertain of our own.

We enter unmarred and pure,
we leave blemished with scars, wears and tears.

As I look into the cadaver before me,
I see the beauty in both the creation and dissolution of life.