Prescribing for Living
‘Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words’ Robert Frost
Thank you to our audience for responding so positively to our poems- for their warm welcome of Debs @poetry_pharmacy, who generously shared her wild wisdom and passion for poetry – promoting her mission for everyone to open their hearts and minds to the power of poetry.
Thank you to all the poets whose poems spoken by our wonderful readers helped us explore the human dimension of clinical care.
Is ‘poem bombing’ a thing? If not it should be as Roger’s unplanned narration of R. S. Thomas’ ‘Don’t ask me’ was perfectly timed and delivered.
Our poems were:
Philip Larkin – Bridge for the Living
Julia Darling – Too heavy
Leonard Cohen – Medicine
Kahlil Gibran – Fear (read in Arabic)
Glen Colquhoun – She asked me
Kathryn Bevis – Nothing is more than this day
Alex Lambert – Poetry and Medicine
Alex wrote his poem while participating in a HYMS Year 2 SSIP (Special Scientific Interest Project) on what we can learn from art about the role of the doctor.
Go and explore The Poetry Pharmacy in London and Bishops Castle and come to our next seminar.
Poetry and Medicine by Alex Lambert
Why study so hard for so little reward?
Your life spent on your laptop or searching round the wards
When the media say the pounds/hour you’re working towards
is better funded at the local coffee shop.
why study so hard to feel so ignored
by the government and the people, you want to restore.
‘what’s wrong with me doctor?’ they always ask.
But what’s wrong with the doctors…
…“Just put on a mask” they say
you get hardened by the job
and if you can’t do it then there is no more to know
maybe its wrong and it’s not for you, Go. Leave.
Why waste five, of the best years of your life
and take so much time
To study for an exam chat gpt could pass
And why make it rhyme.
Why study medicine, why want to heal.
Why write poetry, why want to feel.
They say Medicine heals the body.
And poetry heals the soul.
When I was young doctors saved my sisters life
Something completely out of my control
I want to do what they did.
I want to be like them.
I want to be reflective.
And I want to use a pen.
To write stuff down and for it to heal
me or my friend or a stranger
I want to be a doctor and to feel.
Listen to my patients and remain real.
Remain human.
And here is some feedback from participants
Feel it reinforced and allowed space to see the importance of poetry… often forgotten in my chaotic life! Allowed me freedom to be myself and create the space
Great meeting.
Both of the past two meetings have focussed on the fact that we (patient to doctor, doctor to patient, doctor to doctor and patient to patient) communicate most efficiently at an emotional level. The sooner this message gets across to the target- , spreadsheet- and fact- based faction of our professions, the better.
It is gratifying to see that student doctors and allied professionals seem to be taking this on board.
I LOVED it! Never have I thought about poetry in a positive light, I have never understood it, andwould NEVER have thought about attending a poetry evening. It was so enlightening, I felt so relieved to hear how everyone interprets and feels differently about certain poems, especially the 4 liner I read. My favourite poem was Alex’s, it moved me like I never thought could happen and brought me to tears, it felt so personal but also so understandable and so real.
Enjoyable , fun, opened mind to poetry
An interesting and stimulating seminar. Very well organised and chaired.
An excellent evening. A gentle and emotional introduction to poetry in a relevant and non intimidating way, I am excited to dip in more
Uplifting, thought provoking, humorous, opened my mind to looking at poetry as something I can engage with, moving.
The seminar was intimate and involved. Showed compassion and care using poetry. Lovely experience to take part.
Very well put together. Plenty of variety, good fun. Able to participate. Lovely friendly atmosphere.