Volume 2 | 2021 Voices from the Faculty

55-word stories are just that—stories told in 55 words. The genre wascoined by Steven Moss, founder of the New Times weekly in SanLuis Obispo County, CA, which sponsored the first 55-word storycontest in 1987. Since then, many communities, including medicine,have found the form useful in telling their unique experiences. Voices from the Faculty Editorial board …

Lost Hugs

These are days of hugs not given or

Overload

My daughter twirls in her pink confetti

How Lucky Am I?

What ordinary miracles I witness each

The Weight

The weight of my words and your

Pages

Beep beep bee–. Slap. Groan. Fumble.

Vision

When I close my eyes, your frozen full-

History, I Guess.

Name, department, function

Sweet Magic

One little boy, AFOs ill-fitting, wild child,

American Red Cross

Hearts on the wall for Valentine’s Day.

Fever

She can’t stay seated, fake lashes

point A to point B

“Thinking is pain,” my patient muses flatly

Despair

dimly lit and windowless,

APGAR

The stage is set