For each issue of The Differential, our Arts Editor will write a piece in a specific poetic form that reflects the themes, material, pathologies, and/or student maturity/mindset during the block that she experienced the previous year. All of these are abstract. Some of these are very abstract! But have no fear if you are no poetry connoisseur—there will be a brief explanation of the poem and the poetic form if you so desire; just click on the “References” button below.
Leading Strand, Lagging Strand
Got to catch
the current class
and act cool.
Gracefully composed creature?
Anticipating the crowd,
timidly asking to
create connections and
to gather acquaintances. 3′
Commencing another great
Ambitious goal gladly.
Time to go
comprehend general genetics.
Thinking about genes:
august, terrifying, amazing.
Growing giddy to
ace coming test? 5′
Do you remember material from the first MBLD exam? Do you remember how excited, befuddled, and overwhelmed you felt for the first MBLD exam? Maybe this poem brings back bad memories, in which case, I apologize. But for most of you, I hope this brings back fond memories of basic genetics. There is no classical form for this poem. There is a structure: the lines are composed in codons—it’s not easy to write coherent sentences using only words that begin with T, A, G, or C! Bonus points for anyone who caught the start codon and end codon in the leading strand.
Aishan Shi is a fourth-year medical student and recent MBA grad from UA COM-Phoenix. She graduated in 2013 from The University of Arizona with bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and English. Her interests include medical humanities, structural biology, Shakespeare, stuff in the realm of postmodernism, and cartoons. She aims to bring all these interests together in medicine. To contact Aishan, please email her at ashi1[at]email.arizona.edu.