AN ARTS & LITERARY MAGAZINE GEISINGER COMMONWEALTH SCHOOL OF MEDICINE VOLUME 10 | 2023
Cover Image Hide and Seek (Havana) William Jeffries, PhD | Provost When seeking skyline pictures of Havana, I noticed this boy literally hiding in plain sight from his older companion, only to jump out to surprise him shortly after.
Black Diamonds is an arts and literary magazine of Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine. All content is the property of each respective author/artist. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the permission of the author/artist of each submission.
Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine is committed to non-discrimination in all employment and educational opportunities.
TABLE OF CONTENTS HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT 06 The comfort of torpor 08 falling water 10 march freeze 11 a yellow wood 12 who listens13 angel 14 simple personal items 15 kenai fjords 16 misty reflections 17 breaking waves and storms 18 unpracticed 19 a break abbreviated 20 apple of my eye 22 ocular myasthenia gravis 23 can you believe your eyes? 24 hidden paradise 25
26 falling water, falling leaves 27 mushroom at weiser state forest 28 protected beauty 29 PROTECTED BEAUTY 30 beauty band-aid 31 my eternal springtime 32 lupine 33 mirror in the sky 34 you don't seem depressed 35 abandoned cabin 36 mountain night 37 shadows in the sky 38 monarch buttefly 39 haunting limbs 40 envelopes 41 peaked interest 42 ridin' high
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or thousands of people living in northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) during the 19th and 20th centuries, coal was precious. It was the black diamond they mined and the substance that supported their lives.
Formed in ancient times under the massive pressure of the sediment above it, coal became the foundation of an entire economy in NEPA. That economy has all but vanished from this part of the country, but today, NEPA is witnessing the formation of a new and valuable resource. Created under the pressure of a great need for future physicians, Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine now exists. New students are coming in to NEPA every year to begin the process of being transformed into physicians through the steady, constant pressures of medical school. And like the rich veins of coal that extended through the region, these future physicians are now stretched across counties in northeastern and central Pennsylvania. For many of these students and their teachers, the arts are an important part of life outside of medicine. Our hope is that this journal can serve as a showcase for their expression and be an inspiration to those who read it.
Zachary Wolfe, MD MD Class of 2015
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Hidden in Plain Sight Amanda Caleb, PhD, MPH Editor-in-chief or a failure to not just look but to see. The idiom “hidden in plain sight” is thought to have originated in Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Purloined Letter” (1844). In the short story, the Paris police attempt to recover a letter stolen from the queen by a political rival Minister D__. When their investigation stalls, they turn to detective C. Auguste Dupin, who finds the letter on the mantlepiece of Minister D__’s home and not in some obscure or remote location. This story reveals the limits of human perception in failing to see the obvious and the importance of observation. To be “hidden in plain sight” can be both a deliberate act by the hidden/hider (such as Minister D__ leaving the letter on the mantlepiece)
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The expression “hidden in plain sight” is a paradox of perception: the idea that something can be both conspicuous and inconspicuous simultaneously. Something that is “hidden” would typically be associated with obscurity and invisibility, while the notion of being “in plain sight” suggests visibility and accessibility. Yet, this paradox forms the crux of the idiom’s meaning, inviting us to reflect on our perception of the world and why we overlooked what was right in front of us. The idiom challenges us to explore the limits of our attention and the biases that shape our
understanding of the world. The busyness
important as lab results, and that observation
of our lives may be barriers to seeing the
requires moving outside our preconceived
obvious or in discerning the meaning of what
notions and expectations. The poems, stories,
we might otherwise pass over. The process of
and photographs in this tenth issue of Black
selective attention, influenced by an individual’s
Diamonds remind us to be observant, to examine
preconceived notions and values, can cause
our world with a discerning eye, and to challenge
individuals to overlook what does not align with
our assumptions of what is and what should be.
their existing mental frameworks. Social biases continue to shape sociopolitical priorities and the excuse of not seeing the suffering of others. Such biases can lead to policies of hiding populations
Profound insights are often embedded within the ordinary, the familiar, and the overlooked that are hidden in plain sight. The editorial board of
in plain sight, ignoring or downplaying inequities.
Black Diamonds invites you to step beyond the
The phrase “hidden in plain sight” underscores
beyond the surface of the ordinary to uncover the
the concept that what we perceive is not
obvious, to engage with the subtle, and to step extraordinary hidden in plain sight.
always an objective representation of reality. Black Diamonds is a reminder that medicine is more than science, that stories are as
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The Comfort of Torpor (Prague) William Jeffries, PhD Provost The prevailing way of coping with the sight of poverty is to ignore it, but it is tempting to look back once safely past.
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Falling Waters kevin stavrides, MD OTolaryngology Fall leaves and flowing water are beautiful in their own right, but the grace of captured motion is only possible with a camera.
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March Freeze Tierney Lyons, MLS Librarian Stomping through a late-March freeze, a crackle draws the eye to a decorative veil of ice hovering above a second layer of frozen glassy stillness.
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A Yellow Wood Jessica Fanelli MD Class OF 2025 If we enter an autumn forest, we can be surrounded by a deeper level of beauty than can be appreciated from outside. Turning within can reveal a perspective that is otherwise hidden.
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Who Listens Amanda Caleb, PhD, MPH Editor-in-chief In the morning he calls me Amanda. Later, when this nickname is sucked into a black hole within his brain, present, but inaccessible, he will call me the nice lady who listens. I’ve come to love this new name, one that embodies the two things he still recognizes, even if my face is something he cannot: kindness and someone to listen.
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Angel (Hopital Principal de Dakar, Senegal) WillIAM Jeffries, PhD Provost The nurse comforts in the dark, since the power is off again in this sweltering hospital.
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Simple personal items Ian J. McCoog, EdD Assistant Professor Your stuffed animal A large milkshake, your favorite special treat Your favorite book A giant Hershey bar Your favorite albums A family picture album Your dog (embodiment as he isn’t allowed in the hospital) A stone from the lake where we took that fishing trip Your pajamas and our favorite blanket You taught me that death is part of life You prepared me for the end of yours I am ready to make your death comfortable I don’t know what I will do when you are gone.
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Kenai Fords Kevin Stavrides, MD Otolaryngology Solitary pillars of stone jut out of the ocean in Kenai Fjords National Park. Generations of erosion have worn away the softer stone, exposing the stronger cores standing undaunted by the waves.
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Misty Reflections Kevin Stavrides, MD OTOlaryngology Only visible on calm days in the summer, standing water from snow melt reveals a perfectly still and tranquil reflection of our world.
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Breaking Waves and Storms Jessica Fanelli MD Class of 2025 In plain sight we see the change in both the tides and the weather. Occasionally less obvious, changes such as these can be appreciated in those around us.
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Unpracticed Gabriela Bagdon
begin rambling about your 2-month-old girl after
MD Class of 2024
asking if she has other children, her face flushes and her eyes water. And that is when she tells
Nothing prepares you for the first time a patient
you the real reason for her visit – the months of
makes you cry. You wish you could rewind 10
irregular periods, the pain, the sadness. And then
minutes, stand in front of the bathroom mirror,
you ask what happened. And then you find out
set your face, and practice what you will say. But
that her due date was the same as yours. And
instead, you will be caught off guard. You will
then you remember where you were the day that
know her age, her blood pressure submitted by
her baby girl died. Your heart will beat faster, and
the nurse before you go in the room, the brief
you won’t know what to say, and you will promise
“reason for visit” in the electronic chart, and
that the doctor is nice and he will help her. And
maybe if you are smart or wise or well-practiced
then you will leave the room, and the nurse will
or some combination of the above, you will read
tell you she is sorry you had to face that. And you
a few notes written by her providers. If you did
will wish you had just known what you were going
that, you would be better prepared for what she
to face. And next time you will read the chart, you
will say. If you read the notes and practiced your
will take a deep breath, you will smile politely at
words and your facial expressions in the mirror,
the mirror, calmly state your name and ask how
the news wouldn’t be easier, but maybe you could
you can help today, and you will try to prepare
comfort her. But instead, you are caught off
yourself for the details that you cannot prepare
guard. You connect over her 2-year-old boy and
for.
your 2-year-old boy, and just before you gleefully
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A break abbreviated Dominic Gregorio MD Class of 2026 I leaned on brass and pushed into cool, conditioned air.
sat down alone. Familiar flavors flooded in as I scooped up several scalding bites. Squawk. Vibrating violently, and totally devoid of dinnertime decorum, boxy black plastic began
Boom, boom. Black steel-toes landed on faded
to crackle and beep. Like busy signals on old
entryway fibers. Boom. Echoes alerted all, then
telephones, annoying tones meant all parties
reverberated faintly from scuffed hardwood’s
were occupied. Put precisely, county control was
counterparts above and below. Thump. Tossed
pleading for off-duty personnel to respond.
bags found targets on living room carpet. Zip. Zip. Freed feet kicked constraining armor aside, then stretched to stride towards cold kitchen tile. Saved dinner sizzled and snapped. Through steam and summer beams, I spied beef and noodles, borderline boiling, that obviously obeyed house rules: “Serve hot food hot.” Late again, I
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unloaded diverse devices onto tabletop oak and
I chewed and swallowed, then shoveled one mouthful to-go. Room temp remainders would be waiting upon return. House rules hate unpredictable schedules. Without wasting effort on organization, I clutched diverse devices in hand. Four wooden
feet grated loudly behind me as I pushed hard
Bending back till butt met white metal, and
on tabletop oak. I stood and tiptoed to cross
stretching forward till free fingers reached
cold kitchen tile. Tapping into latent Little League
retreating brass, I strove to coax two opposites
training, I skipped once and slid swiftly across
into some kind of threshold compromise.
scuffed hardwood, landing triumphantly on entryway fibers as if I had stolen home base.
Nimbler now, I pulled gently on brass and juked right to dodge white metal. Hiss. White metal
Zip. Echoes be damned. Boom, boom, boom,
swung to meet amicably with patiently awaiting
boom, boom. Sweaty socks bunching in black
wood, and wiry screen to glass like old friends.
boots, straps slightly askew, lefty half-zipped, too late now. Woosh. Wood and glass swung inwards, inviting swampy summer air to gust through holes in helpless screen. I pushed, spun, yanked, and hopped with athletic intent. Instantly outsmarted, white painted metal smacked me
Black steel-toes landed on well-worn cement. Suddenly, I weighed more as I gazed inward through wispy wire and glazed glass. Bucking gravity, I turned to squint towards setting sun and heaved away from home again.
from behind. Wood and glass struck me twice in front for good measure, then bounced back on brass hinges. White metal buzzed in laughter, wiry screen shaking within with glee. Time too tight to spend on temper tantrums, I exhaled embarrassment and inhaled grace.
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Apples of My Eye Ann Louise Seebold Senior Administrative Assistant, Institutional Advancement Late afternoon sunbeams streak through the branches of an apple tree leaving a glimmering reflection of technology on the ripe apple ready to be picked for you or I. © 2023 Ann Louise Photography. All rights reserved.
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Ocular Myasthenia Gravis Carolyn Young MD Class of 2026 I wonder What I will need His window to the soul And partial paralysis Scare me I plan To learn and help His eyelid drooping And saying “the apple of my eye” Prompt me I dream Of his good health His fatigue is fast And he just wants me to be happy Urging me
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Can you believe your eyes? Tom Cronin MD Class of 2024 Can you believe your eyes?
The eyes, perhaps more simple are the last bastion of truth, betraying what the
Or better the brain, the one who perceives?
face and mouth have to say.
Yet, the eyes extend out from the brain, you see.
Conveying their own emotions, the eyes can only
In a way they are the same.
show what they are.
Wonders existing within the realm of
A place where there is no guile, where the most
understanding.
intimate connection is made.
Unknowns still in the territory of magic.
Uninvited, it is a threat. A connection by chance,
They conflict regularly like brothers,
of oneself.
clashing and trading deference,
Eyes see the world but more importantly they see
Creating dissonance. Who can you trust? The brain: a great creator
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Of stories, of ideas, of love, of lies.
an embarrassment. With intent, a great surrender
others. The brain knows the sum total of human knowledge, but the eyes know the soul.
Hidden Paradise Rahul V. Joshi MD Class of 2026 Hidden behind beautiful cliffside homes and tall walls of bushes and trees is the gorgeous Thousand Steps Beach in Laguna Beach, California, rarely seen due to the hike needed to reach it and now permanently closed to beachgoers.
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falling water, falling leaves jessica fanelli md class of 2025 If one looks closely, you can see the leaves being swept away in the falling water. The falls help to usher in the change as autumn gradually robs the trees of their leaves.
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Mushroom at weiser state forest mark blanchard Senior Digital Project Specialist Getting down to the same level as this mushroom reveals details that are easy to miss if you’re not looking.
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protected beauty maya van gieson md class of 2025 Nature is before our eyes every day,
Notice one beautiful thing,
From its wonders to its disasters.
Notice the awesomeness that lies within
Yet, we miss it.
each day,
We rush from task to task, From place to place,
Take one moment to enjoy the beauty,
From patient to patient,
It is just before your eyes,
From home to work,
And protect it.
From work to home.
It is yours,
In our rushing,
To keep,
We miss the simple beauty of breathing,
To hold,
Of the sun rising,
To make you smile,
Of the gentle breeze blowing,
To make your life beautiful.
Of the small wonders that occur each day. Stop. Notice one wonder,
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And protect it.
protected beauty maya van gieson MD class of 2025 This photo serves to remind ourselves that there is beauty in the everyday, and if we do not take the time to pause we may miss it. We should protect our own happiness and the amazing but often hidden beauty of the everyday.
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beauty band-aid Eshiemomoh Osilama, MBS
Ooh, and it’s giving!!
md class of 2024
I, myself, have never swatched
Y’all heard??? They’ve got band-aids with melanin injected in them
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a swathe or a swaddle of gauze so– *gasp* well, whad’ya know? The matte of this patch is the perfect match!
now.
Hmm…
I couldn’t tell you how, but
this really has me thinking–
WOW,
I’ve finally got a means
this shade of burnt-mocha-umber-brown
to beautify these
is lovely –
my Black
the perfect hue
bruises,
to occlude the reds
but I would also suppose,
and the blues percolating
or
under my skin.
I mean,
Am I blushing!?
at the very least,
Guess, I’d never noticed
ought it be assumed–
all these polishes, concealers, and blushes
is this what they mean by
bleeding towards this aisle
using a band-aid to cover up
of the drug store pharmacy.
a bullet wound?
my eternal springtime 我 的 恒春 iris johnston Librarian Do not mistake his eloquence
He got his first when he was 3
for the softness of a fop.
standing naked on the shore.
He is hard, and his absence
He kissed it
is a broken bottle hidden in blonde silt.
and thanked it
他 说“哦你好美”
and bashed it on a rock
He says “yes, you are beautiful”
then ate both eyes, but, such a good boy
while massaging lonely housewives with an oil
he gave the tongue and cheeks both to his mother
more expensive than his rent
along with every cent the housewives leave.
for fourteen hours every day.
And like a bottle buried he is lost until he slices
他说 “ 没有饿, 米没有香.
the finger searching dumbly
睡眠没有累不舒服.”
for treasures in the silt.
He says ‘food is not delicious without hunger and sleep without fatigue is just a nuisance.” His family are fishermen, they catch them in nets made of polyvinyl fencing stolen from a school.
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lupine kevin stavrides, MD Otolaryngology Easy to miss with such a breathtaking backdrop, lupine plants create a stunning foreground when you look closely enough.
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mirror in the sky jessica fanelli md class of 2025 On a clear fall day at just the right angle, it can become hard to discern reflection from reality. The lines can become blurred and hidden among one another.
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You don’t seem depressed iris johnston librarian We tend to think that depressed means sad, but the symptoms of chronic depression are more than just a frowny face.
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abandoned cabin mark blanchard Senior Digital Project Specialist This cabin is easy to miss when driving by as it blends in to the woods so well.
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mountain night
This poem is about how often we forget to take in nature around us, and how healing it can be if we let it.
marisa vanness md class of 2025 This is starlight kind of weather where I cannot see a face but I can feel the warmth of a hand. the kind of cold, clear, crispness in the air that makes my heart alive the kind that makes you feel small beneath these thousands of fiery eyes, while at the same time your heart is opened so wide you don’t know where you end and the sky begins
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shadows in the sky Rahul V. Joshi MD Class of 2026 Crepuscular rays, or shadow bands, are alternating strips of shadows and light scattered from sunbeams during twilight. Taken near Montage Mountain, this picture shows how clouds expose this spectacular hidden phenomenon — in plain sight, but often overlooked.
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monarch butterfly mark blanchard Senior Digital Project Specialist This butterfly is showing off its colors in the sun but only for a moment and on to the next flower.
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haunting limbs marisa vanness md class of 2025 How can a man who once was a sum just have no hand? How can a choice lose so much and yet so little of the whole? Nothing remains- yet there is a majority Does it matter more that it hurt or that it will slowly grind at patience and understanding later? That others will not think- this must work for him too. Or that they will study the floor when he’s near- his eyes, his mouth, not the nothing that lies at the end of his wrist.
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envelopes marisa vanness md class of 2025 The dust that scattered the light Of a lantern in the dark mouth that liked to swallow its workers Worked its way into every line on you Until your lungs had folded it inside Until your last breath was stiff and cold Like the mouth where the dust had been
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Peaked interest Rahul V. Joshi MD Class of 2026 On the Lake 22 hiking trail in Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, shrouded from the sun by towering trees, a small opening in the forest exposes a beautiful view of Mt. Pilchuk. Even from afar, the enormity of the mountain lends perspective to our speck-like existence.
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Ridin' High (Burlington, Vermont) William jeffries, Phd provost The view as I marched in the Burlington Pride parade – our differences revealed and celebrated.
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COMMIT TEE
amanda caleb, PhD MPH Editor in chief T. Riley potter Managing Editor Katherine Mullen Layout Designer Katie lee Layout Designer
Saishravan Shyamsundar Student editorial assistant Iris Johnston Staff Editorial Assistant Janice Richardson Staff Editorial Assistant Karen Ephlin, MD Staff Editorial Assistant HEather davis Staff Editorial Assistant 43
