The Spring
By Madison Peregoy MD
I’ve come to fear the Springtime.
The Spring of my intern year,
When the darkest days were finally
Getting brighter,
Another intern was found dead in his bed.
All the thoughts that enter your head
When you hear the news:
Did he take his own life?
I never saw any signs.
What happened to him?
I may never know.
I miss him. My friend.
The Spring of my second year
With increasing confidence,
My skills growing and my faith returning,
Another resident had a stroke.
All the thoughts that enter your head
When you hear the news:
A brain aneurysm? But he is so young.
He was about to graduate.
All his years of sacrifice, gone.
I miss him. My friend.
Can I withstand another Spring?
Will all my friends,
Who have worked their entire lives
For the betterment of others,
Cross the finish line with me?
Most residents fear the Wintertime.
The days are too short, the nights are too long.
What seems like endless work and
No sunshine.
But I’ve come to fear the Spring.
Of nearly seeing a dream to fruition,
Only to be taken away in an instant.
The life you set aside for the sake of a dream,
Flashed before your eyes.
Spring is usually full of hope,
Full of life:
Birds singing, people socializing.
But I’ve had hope before, so now
I’ve come to fear the Springtime.
Madison Peregoy, MD. I am an Internal Medicine resident at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center originally from Wilmington, North Carolina.