Hektoen International

A Journal of Medical Humanities

here

Slavena Salve Nissan
New York, New York, United States

“with her grandfather in the lobby of the cancer building

this is the third time this week

a baby girl in a pink hat
with her grandfather
in the lobby of the cancer building

me at the table next to them
tuna sandwich unwrapped
but suddenly not hungry

i know why they’re here

he whispers things to her
a lullaby?
an i love you?

i can’t
quite
catch it

it’s not for me
to hear


SLAVENA SALVE NISSAN is an aspiring physician-writer and a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. She was introduced to poetry as a second grader, and it was love at first sight. Her work has been published in in-Training and The Pharos.

Fall 2018

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