Narrative Matters: Poems By Patients And Consumers
Editor’s note: This spring, Health Affairs held its first ever poetry contest. Three winning poems were published in the journal. We’re also featuring some of our other favorites on the Blog throughout the month of October.
You Are A Job
You forget that you are someone’s job
something they want to hurry away from
a way to pay bills, daycare, college fees
You remember when your butt goes numb
45 minutes of hard plastic pressed in soft flesh
You remember when supper comes late,
tea cup, empty, soup cold, or missing,
no tater tots, no salad, no grapes
each and every day, irksome things you cannot undo
When help disappears and pain is invisible
though sniffed, scrubbed with disinfectant hand gels
you learn to plan many moves ahead,
wrap requests in ribbons, create sequences,
hoard packets of sugar, salt, pepper, dressings,
call for help an hour before the ambulatory
flee your immobile flesh for home.
– Akua Lezli Hope
New Rule For Eating
new rule for eating: eat everything with love
love the dew on the furry stalks of tiny heirloom tomatoes the
explosion of asparagus tips being snapped from the stalk the
astringent intrusion of a carrot stick in the roof of your mouth the vivid
lucidity of orange peel drying in the sun
resist all urges to quibble with salty celery spikes – nibble them tenderly
do not fret over peppers – embrace them all
nuzzle edible flower petals
hold melons in your hands, feel the aromatic, tender wei...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - Category: Health Management Authors: Jessica Bylander Tags: Elsewhere@ Health Affairs Narrative Matters Narrative Matters poetry patient experience Source Type: blogs
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