Photo by Stefano Pollio on Unsplash
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.
