Bio: Priscilla Duran Luciano, MD, is a research fellow in cardiovascular epidemiology and an emerging poet based in New York City. Passionate about the heart in both clinical and poetic senses, she writes at the intersection of medicine, identity, love, and resilience.
Eric v.d. Luft, Ph.D., was Curator of Historical Collections at SUNY Upstate Medical University from 1987 to 2006 and has taught at Villanova University, Syracuse University, Upstate, and the College of Saint Rose. He is the author, editor, or translator of over 690 publications in philosophy, religion, librarianship, history, history of medicine, politics, humor, popular culture, and nineteenth-century studies.
Manal Imran is a medical student from Miami, FL. Her poem ‘In the Presence of Shadows’ l was inspired by an OB/GYN rotation, where the unexpected loss of a newborn contrasted with the floor’s usual joy
by Maryam Tariq, MD
This poem was inspired by a clinical encounter during my Child and Adolescent Psychiatry fellowship. What began as a routine outpatient follow-up revealed, through a single screening question, a recent suicide attempt by a teen who had appeared stable. The piece reflects on the tension between clinical progress and hidden emotional suffering, and the critical importance of asking direct questions ,even when things seem “better.”
D. R. James, retired from 40 years of teaching college writing, literature, and peace studies, lives with his wife, a former hospice social worker and bereavement counselor, in Saugatuck, Michigan. His latest of 10 collections is Mobius Trip (Dos Madres Press). https://www.amazon.com/author/drjamesauthorpage
Priscilla Duran Luciano, MD, is a research fellow in cardiovascular epidemiology and an emerging poet based in New York City. Passionate about the heart in both clinical and poetic senses, she writes at the intersection of medicine, identity, love, and resilience.
Basman Aldirawi (also published under Basman Derawi) is a Palestinian physiotherapist, writer and poet from Gaza. he has contributed dozens of stories/poems to the online platform We Are Not Numbers and other platforms including ArabLit, Mondoweiss and Vivamost. Also, participated as a co-author in a book; Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, 2022 and the Arabic poetry anthology; Gaza, the land of poetry, 2021.
We’re proud to announce the Winners of the Fall / Winter 2024/ 2025 Haiku Poetry Contest.
Thank you to all who participated.
1st Place – Pamela Wynn
2nd Place -Veronica Tucker
3rd Place – Michelle Tram
Prisca Mbonu is a current medical student at The Burnett School of Medicine based in Fort Worth, Texas. She possesses a deep passion for narrative medicine. Throughout her time in medical school, she has led initiatives to integrate the humanities into medical training through various projects and programs.