20 minute sketch by Christina Patrone, MD
Every shadow and each curve A hundred questions and maybe I’ll learn
20 minutes to learn a lifetime 20 minutes to construct a body with my pencil and eye
The drawing and chart before me Are both merely shells of reality
She stands with confident strength Artful, crisp shadows cast over her length
She lies flat, bloated and confused Fluorescent lights, faded gown overused
How did she get here? How did the time pass? She didn’t believe that her youth wouldn’t last
His back is straight, his eyes are bright Slim frame, skin glowing with light
He shivers and he sweats Insidious infection crawling up his legs
My pencil dances across the page I piece together the puzzle of the case
I open my eyes wide to capture the rest I close them tight to hear her heart beat in her chest
5 minutes to get really close 5 minutes to tell the story, almost Christina Patrone, MD is completing a Transitional Year at Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center, and will go on to Dermatology residency at Columbia University Medical Center Table of Contents