Doll House

Manuella Djomaleu’s “Doll House” earned second place in the Storytelling Contest creative writing category. The poem flips the raw feelings of imposter syndrome during medical training into a search for the true roots of those feelings. The narrator blends visceral metaphors of sight, sound, and touch to ask again and again how many sacrifices must be made in a culture of discrimination. Moving from the physical to the psychological, the poem confronts the reader with what it really means to sacrifice one’s identity, leading to a final haunting question.

Mirror

Need I scream

even with this coat,

you refuse to see me.

my sweet alto

unbecoming

To excel, must I paint my face closer to the sun,

change my name so it rolls off your tongue

burn my hair and become undone

To join your ranks,

how much should I negotiate?

temper my boldness

soften my words

play the game to settle for half

How much should I erase

for you to call me doctor.