Our prompt was: โComplete the sentence – When I behold the world, my inner eye sees _________.โ
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
Our prompt was: โWrite about whatโs in the mirrorโ
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
California is a desert and I am a woman inside it.
The road ahead bends sideways and I lurch within myself.
Iโm full of ugly feelings, awful thoughts, bad dreams
of doom, and so much love left unspoken.
Is mercury in retrograde? someone asks.
Someone answers, No, itโs something else
like that though. Something else like that.
That should be my name.
When you ask me am I really a woman, a human being,
a coherent identity, Iโll say No, Iโm something else
like that though.
A true citizen of planet earth closes their eyes
and says what they are before the mirror.
A good person gives and asks for nothing in return.
I give and I ask for only one thingโ
Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me. Hear me.
Hear me. Bear the weight of my voice and donโt forgetโ
things haunt. Things exist long after they are killed.
Copyright ยฉ 2018 by Joshua Jennifer Espinoza. Originally published in Poem-a-Day on December 11, 2018, by the Academy of American Poets.
Nos acompaรฑaran seis participantes desde Nueva York, Espaรฑa, Argentina, y California.
El texto que escogimos para hoy fue una escena de la pelรญcula โDespedidasโ pelรญcula del 2008 dirijida por Yรดjirรด Takita en el 2009 gano el Oscar por Mejor Pelรญcula en Lengua Extranjera del Aรฑo. Vimos la escena una vez por lo que duro un poco mรกs de cinco minutos.
Lo primero que se noto fue que la escena nos da tantos mensajes. Hablamos de las diferencias en las culturas, sobre todo entre el Japรณn y los paรญses en Latino Amรฉrica. Es una falta de respeto llegar tarde, especialmente porque el amortajador es un trabajo que no se respeta en el Japรณn.
Tambiรฉn se observรณ como preparan los cadรกveres. En la pelรญcula podemos ver que en el Japรณn se prepara el cadรกver al frente de la familia, para que sean parte del proceso. Podemos ver como el esposo pasa por muchas emocionesโimpaciencia, rabia, y dolor. Al final el esposo โveโ a su esposa, tal vez por primera vez, pero ya su esposa estรก muerta; ya es muy tarde. El esposo le dijo al amortajador que su esposa nunca se habรญa visto tan hermosa.
Varias participantes dijeron que en los ojos de los actores se veรญa como ellos se transformaron al ver como el amortajador trata el cadรกver; la reacciรณn de la gente presente para el entorno. Le deja a uno imaginar como seria esa experiencia para uno. Al ver la reverencia con que el cual el amortajador trata el cadรกver, un participante noto, โยฟCuรกntos respetamos a los vivos?โ
El esposo estaba sin emociรณn hasta el final. รl pudo enfocar su dolor hacia el trabajador porque era mรกs fรกcil que procesar sus sentimientos. Lloro al final porque al fin vio a su esposa linda como era y porque pudo ver el valor del trabajo del amortajador.
La propuesta de escritura fue โEscribe sobre un momento sagradoโ. Alguien escribiรณ de las cosas y experiencias sagradas desde la niรฑez, en la vida, y en el mundo. Otra persona escribiรณ sobre una experiencia personal. Y aรบn otra persona escribiรณ sobre un consultorio sagrado. Todas las respuestas fueron variadas y en la sombra del texto.
Aquรญ, ahora alentamos a los participantes que si asรญ lo desean, compartan lo que escribieron a continuaciรณn. Deja tu respuesta aquรญ, si deseas continuar la conversaciรณn sobre la escena de la pelรญcula de Yรดjirรด Takita. Pero antes, les recomendamos tener en cuenta que el blog es un espacio pรบblico donde, por supuesto, no se garantiza la confidencialidad.
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
for everyone poked so full
of holes, their own voice passes
through them, history escaping
the body in a series of echoes.
for everyone distilled into colour
of skin, choice of pronoun, place
of origin, length of hair, years, skirt,
name, limbs, medical record.
for everyone made to believe
that the petals of persecution
have blossomed from the buds
of their own paranoia.
for everyone passed over in favour
of a name that seemed easier
to pronounce, was less of an assault
to someone elseโs comfort.
for everyone accused of prolonged
adolescence, scars on their arms
marking time like a calendar, body
taking itself into its own hands.
for everyone blamed
for the stare, grope, catcall, assault
that cut like glass into flesh as if
they had asked to be broken.
for everyone deceived
into dreaming, everyone who left home
and family to provide home
and family, returning with nothing.
for everyone pumped
so full of doctrine, the guilt which ate
into their bones made them believe
breaking them was the only way out.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this session!
For this session we read a scene from the screenplay Awakenings, by Steven Zaillian, based on the book by Oliver Sacks posted below.ย
Our prompt was: โWhere does the conversation go from here?โ
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
INT. LEONARDโS DAYROOM โ NIGHT
Leonard, alone at a table with a book. He glances up as Sayer sits opposite him, then down again at the book.
LEONARD I canโt read anymore. The
words are written too slow.
I keep going back to the
beginning, to the beginning,
and trying...
He turns back to the beginning, tries again, his eyes moving too quickly across the lines, โaheadโ of the words. His hands and head begin shaking out of control and itโs all he can do to close the book.
LEONARD
Iโve let the others down.
SAYER
You have not.
LEONARD
Iโve let you down.
SAYER
You have not.
LEONARD
Iโm grotesque... grotesque... grotesque...
SAYER
Leonard, I wonโt sit here
and listen to you talk about
yourself like this --
LEONARD
Look at me.
He is a man consumed by illness. With a voice that is flat and limbs that are bent and hands that are twisted and a grimace that can only hint at the great depth of the despair he is suffering.
LEONARD
Look at me and tell me I am not.
SAYER
You are not.
Itโs over and Leonard knows it. And though he wonโt admit it, so does Sayer. Leonard barely gets the words out --
LEONARD
This... isnโt... me.
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
Our prompt was: โWrite about a time you kept going.โ
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
Lotan Baba, a holy man from India, rolled on his side forย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
four thousand kilometers across the country in his quest forย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
world peace and eternal salvation. ย ย โReuters
He started small: fasting here and there,
days, then weeks. Once, he stood under
a banyan tree for a full seven years, sitting
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย for nothingโnot even to sleep. It came
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย to him in a dream:ย You must roll
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย on this earth, spin your heart in rain,
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย desert, dust.ย At sunrise heโd stretch, swab
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย any cuts from the day before, and lay prone
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย on the road while his twelve men swept
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย the ground in front of him with sisal brooms.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Even monkeys stopped and stared at this man
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย rolling through puddles, past storefronts
where children would throw him pieces
of butter candy heโd try and catch
in his mouth at each rotation. His men
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย swept and sang, swept and sang
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย of jasmine-throated angels
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย and pineapple slices in kulfi cream.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย He rolled and rolled. Sometimes
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย in his dizzying spins, he thought
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย he heard God. A whisper, but still.
Source:ย Miracle Fruitย (Tupelo Press, 2003)
Our prompt was: โBegin your writing with ‘That time I thought…’ or Write about taking the time to linger.โ
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
That time
I thought I could not
go any closer to grief
without dying
I went closer,
and I did not die.
Surely God
had his hand in this,
as well as friends.
Still, I was bent,
and my laughter,
as the poet said,
was nowhere to be found.
Then said my friend Daniel,
(brave even among lions),
โItโs not the weight you carry
but how you carry it โ
books, bricks, grief โ
itโs all in the way
you embrace it, balance it, carry it
when you cannot, and would not,
put it down.โ
So I went practicing.
Have you noticed?
Have you heard
the laughter
that comes, now and again,
out of my startled mouth?
How I linger
to admire, admire, admire
the things of this world
that are kind, and maybe
also troubled โ
roses in the wind,
the sea geese on the steep waves,
a love
to which there is no reply?
Our prompt was: โWrite about how you move through your day.โ
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
Core Team:
Concept by... Christy Stoeten | Sarah Kim, MD
Director/Editorโฆ Sonia Gemmiti
Producerโฆ Sarah Kim, MD | Christy Stoeten
Director of Photographyโฆ Katie Cooper
Composerโฆ Danielle Goudge, RN
Choreographyโฆ Christy Stoeten | Sarah Kim, MD
1st Assistant Cameraโฆ Yuri Markarov
Colourist... Matthew Barnett
Sound Engineer... Mark Rozeluk
Our prompt was: โWrite about what you might serve a stranger who arrives at the door.โ
More details will be posted on this session, so check back again!
Participants are warmly encouraged to share what you wrote below (โLeave a Replyโ), to keep the conversation going here, bearing in mind that the blog of course is a public space where confidentiality is not assured.
Also, we would love to learn more about your experience of these sessions, so if youโre able, please take the time to fill out a follow-up survey of one to two quick questions!
The Arabs used to say,
When a stranger appears at your door,
feed him for three days
before asking who he is,
where heโs come from,
where heโs headed.
That way, heโll have strength
enough to answer.
Or, by then youโll be
such good friends
you donโt care.
Letโs go back to that.
Rice? Pine nuts?
Here, take the red brocade pillow.
My child will serve water
to your horse.
No, I was not busy when you came!
I was not preparing to be busy.
Thatโs the armor everyone put on
to pretend they had a purpose
in the world.
I refuse to be claimed.
Your plate is waiting.
We will snip fresh mint
into your tea.
Copyright ยฉ by Naomi Shihab Nye. Used with the permission of the author.
Connections in Narrative Medicine 