By Luke Childress

A PowerPoint slide over sugar metabolism. 

      Devilled eggs at the shop downtown.

          My lovely wife smiles mischievously at me. 

                Bike tires rolling over gravel.

                      Snapping Legos to one another.

                          Ruined homes in the October sun.

                      Milk diffusing into orange Thai tea.


One. Second. From. Every. Day.

                  Lost. In. Time. Forever.

                               Struggle. Against. Entropy.

Luke Childress is a doctoral student and graduate assistant in the UAMS College of Medicine.

By Mallory Onarecker

The first time I went in spitting,
feral with indignation at the hidden price tag.
The pound of flesh required, the known life swallowed whole.
Enraged at those that went in tight-lipped, 
inert like the piles of laundry they were destined to dunk.
Sneering and suspicious of those that went in with veneers grinning,
vindicated when they came up sputtering, hair and make-up mussed.

Second time I went through laughing,
hysterical with delirium at the inside joke.
Two pounds lighter but death twice cheated.
Giddy to be sopping wet and still breathing.

Third I came up sobbing,
Dumbfounded with sight.
Those three pounds, investments returning 7, 8, 6 fold.
These waters blushing to wine, a miracle at (tiny) hand.
This ain’t no drowning – 
It’s a baptism.

Mallory Onarecker is an APRN in Surgery at UAMS.

By Abhilash Thatikala

In the realm of neurons firing, life’s a constant race,
A neurology resident’s world, an unrelenting pace.
With each dawn’s early light, a new day begins,
In the labyrinth of synapses, where discovery always wins.

In scrubs of dedication, I step into the fray,
To decode the mind’s mysteries, come what may.
A schedule filled with patients, their stories to untwine,
In the busy life I lead, in the realm of the mind.

The ER’s a battlefield, where crises unite,
In the chaos of trauma, we strive for the light.
A stroke’s swift intervention, a seizure’s reprieve,
In this whirlwind of life, we battle and believe.

Behind computer screens, I scrutinize tests,
Searching for answers, to put minds at rest.
From EEGs to MRIs, the images unfurl,
Revealing the secrets of this cognitive world.

Yet in the midst of chaos, a bond’s sweet refrain,
With patients and families, through joy and through pain.
Their trust, a privilege, as I guide their way,
Through the labyrinth of neurons, come what may.

But life’s not all work, there’s laughter and tears,
In the camaraderie of colleagues, conquering fears.
Late-night rounds, sharing stories, and dreams,
In this busy existence, we’re a vibrant team.

My restless nights spent studying, books at my side,
Seeking knowledge and wisdom, in neurology’s tide.
For in this field, the learning never does cease,
A lifelong journey, in pursuit of inner peace.

So as a neurology resident, my days may be long,
But the beauty of the brain keeps me strong.
In this busy life, I lead, with the dawn of every day,
In the world of neurons, I find my purpose and my way.

Abhilash Thatikala is a resident (PGY-3, Neurology) at UAMS.