by marquita kilgore
yale school of medicine

You whispered, "forget me not," through my dreams
and lifted me high in a cloud of peace
You cloaked me in your legacy of love
and I vowed, "never will thoughts of you cease"

I have transformed my memory of you
into great gratitude for another
I have cherished the gift of my donor
through remembrance of you, dear grandmother

Is someone missing her deeply right now?
Does she have a grandchild who loves her too?
Respect for the life my donor once lived
brings me to memories I shared with you

How did she spend a typical day?
Did she watch Wheel of Fortune like us two?
The selfless sacrifice of my donor
Resonates loudly in all that I do

To use her body as a learning tool
while keeping her humanity in mind
took thinking of you while in her presence
and how you taught me to love all mankind

She screamed, "forget me not," from the table
and I answered in awe of her request
Donors empower minds and inspire hearts
Forever may their legacy be blessed

Thank you.