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Sword of Damocles
By now you may already be aware that COVID-19 thing sweeping the world—I heard it’s pretty trendy. Over the past several weeks I’ve felt as though I’m a sandpiper running ahead of incoming waves. I went to a concert Wednesday of last week; by Thursday they were cancelling concerts. Saturday and Sunday I went out…
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Fetch Quests
My friends who play RPGs will be familiar with the concept of “fetch quests.” For the rest of you, they’re sort of in the same family as a MacGuffin, that largely interchangeable noun valued by a story’s characters in order to drive the plot. In games, the character must go out and collect an arbitrary…
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Reduced
I used to make you feel safe,Encouraged you to share,To trust me.Somewhere along the wayWe switched places:I became the same as everyone else.
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Urine Output
In the hospital we care a lot about urine. While we no longer taste the sweetness of diabetes mellitus compared to the flavorless diabetes insipidus, we measure urine output (UOP), volume (per kilo per hour), color, red cells, white cells, nitrites, bacteria… Pee-related reasons for sticking around the hospital range from the anatomic (a kid…
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Collage
I collected the invitations To events I had missed: Weddings, showers, parties All unattended, reply cards unsent. Their photos covered my wall.
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Dissimilar
I opened my soul to you,Shared my secrets. You listened and smiled,Told you me you were similar.Knowing all the whileYou were not.
Matter, Energy, and Life of Michaela A. Castello.