Ode to My Dear Melena

She appears to me indeed to be

In no acute distress

Not the same for me, I quiver to see

Her visage in that dress

Her eyes are devoid

of scleral icterus

Looking to the future,

together, I picture us

Melena's eyes sparkle, such a beautiful  sight

Pupils equal, round and reactive

to light

Melena, it is you

I do adore,

To the point of obsessive

in DSM-IV

Her skin is of the smoothest and warmest texture

But her feelings—the same? I can only  conjecture

On her carotids, no bruits are heard

But Melena, you make my heart

Burn

Like GERD

If I don't pursue her, the other men'll

Her reaction to them?—I hope—WNL

Melena, you anchor my

infatuations,

Don't observe, but do feel,

my heart's palpitations

Her lungs are clear, as is her sinus

Her choice, unknown

But I know what mine is

Her heart sounds are fine,

splitting on S2

Melena, my question

I hope you'll say yes to

Melena, it is you I want to take as my wife

Any answer but 'yes'

incompatible with life

Let's get married, run away, elope

Melena,I can put the fun

In fundoscope

Melena—

a lady—

there is none better

A more perfect woman

Found only in Netter

Tom Mathew, M.D.

Class of 2002

Second Place, Poetry