Page 7 - Humanism 2019

Shoreline

By Nadia Afkhami, Optometry student

I was sand,
waiting

in the scorching sun.
Dry, warm.
Each grain lying quietly,

whispering secrets to the setting sun,
wishing on every shooting star
that ran across the dark night sky.
And you,
you were the ocean,

relentless,
reaching forward
again and again,

no matter how many times
it was sent away.
Humanism heals;
But with each wave,
science to medicine flows: you washed over me,
the doctor reveals… shaping each grain

as you combed through.
By Suzana Tkalcic, DVM, PhD
And you pulled me closer
Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine
each day,

washing away all the hollow pockets,
and creating a new,
smooth surface.
A new life,
a new canvas.

And from that moment on,
the only imprint left on the seashore,
would be ones we made together.

The give and take of the ocean,
and the stubborn, persistent sand,
meeting in alliance,
in unity and compromise,
along the humble shoreline.

Photo by Katelyn Reist, Veterinary Medicine student

HUMANISM IN THE HEALTH SCIENCES 2019 • VOL. 22 4