SPOTLIGHT -
May 3rd 2024
“The fundamental act of medical care is assumption of responsibility.”
April 26th 2024
"Otherwise it's spring, and everything looks frail; the sky is baby blue, and the just-unfurling leaves are full of infant chlorophyll, the very tint of inexperience."
April 22nd 2024
"I pulled my scuffle hoe hard through the clay’s crust and heard the blade scrape metal and earth."
April 19th 2024
"And the sky went wan, and the wind came cold, And the sun rose dripping, a bucketful of gold."
April 12th 2024
"I shall forget civilization, I shall forget color, caste, I shall move in a fantastic world of raceless men and women..."
Complaint
"...Night is a room darkened for lovers..."
Hail to Floyd
Poetry allows for reflection a year after a tragedy and a travesty, and to honor a life lost.
The Repining Tree
Trees, the oldest among us. One wonders if they mourn the many lynchings that have taken place on their limbs. More reflections on diversity.
When the Doctor Called...
"I stood shivering in the dark kitchen, thinking about that word, ventilator..."
Eden's Stoner Chair
Reading books and journals, charting treatment plans to help patients find an Eden of their own.
What Lets Us Breathe Easier
"You’re a poet, aren’t you?"
Carpe Diem
"...So far the days keep coming. Seize the day gently as if you loved her.”
Soul
Words—an excellent reflection of the soul.
Sitting, Sewing
"My hands grown tired, my head weighed down with dreams..."
Pledged to a Little Nation
"My love, I am pledging to this republic, for however long we stand..."
Accoutered With Underutilized Ammunition
Justice in the form of humanity.
Sufficiently Sweet
“...sweetness comes as if on loan, stays just long enough to make sense of what it means to be alive, then returns to its dark source.”
Relentless Sowers
Nurturing, growing, and harvesting wisdom…
An Unexpected Journey: From Medicine to Poetry
How do poetry and medicine interact and relate? One doctor shares his journey.
Coming of Age
"... unconscious as hope that we sense around us now borne back into the earth..."
Psychiatric Residency Rotation
Reform school, a place where workers smoked with the boys, a place where fathers were AWOL and mothers begged us to save their sons.
Bear Spotting
A bear under the snow turns over to yawn. It's been a long, hard rest.
To Study the Universe
So I sit on the edge, wagging my feet above the abyss. Tonight the moon will be in my lap...
Falling Deeply Into America
"The world was immaculate, new..."
An Accountant of the Heart
As soon as you begin to ask the question, Who loves me?, you are completely screwed, because the next question is How Much?
Bard Self Disclosure
Catharsis expressed in a pen, it was a tool to get through the hard times, even medical school.
Cloudy Eyes, Chapped Lips, Icy Air
"...remember this one life is a gift each of us was handed and told to open..."
Psychiatric Residency Interview
My life pasted on his wall to analyze, a flash of insight came to me: Training had begun.
The Life Thing In Us
“...the life thing in us that will not let us die...”
Reimagining the 15-Minute Med Check Through A Poet’s Eyes
When, where, and how to use poetry in a clinical setting.
The Way We Live With Hungers
Hospital food has the reputation for not being very restorative...
The One
And Jesus was a sailor when he walked upon the water...
Never Weary, Never Lost
"... laboring to transform death to praise, never wearying, never once losing faith."
Kingfisher's Flight
How has COVID-19 given us a heightened appreciation for each moment?
Changing Faces
As the COVID-19 battle continues, reflecting on successes against viruses like AIDS may serve as a hopeful reminder.