Anne Corey is a teacher, writer, and artist living in New York’s Hudson Valley.
“Robert Frost and the Medical Applications of Poetry” (Intima, Spring 2015) by Debbie McCulliss reminded me about how a poem may give us access to our subconscious, to our hopes and fears that are often hidden under the too bright lights of ordinary interactions and conversations. Using specific poems by Robert Frost, she illustrates ways to read poetry for both awareness and healing. Her piece made me think about how a poem touches us in a way that goes beyond the words themselves.
My poem “Conjoined” (Intima, Spring 2022) specifically addresses the lived experience of the patient whose life will be irrevocably altered by a medical procedure. What does it mean to wake up from anesthesia-induced sleep and be different? If you are not who you were before, who are you? In this poem, the separation is physical, but it works on a metaphorical level as well. A medical procedure may often mean you are separated from the person you once were. Although the knee replacement is successful, if the surgeon informs you that you can no longer do the yoga poses that sustained you, what does that mean for your perception of yourself? Who are you? Of course, modifications can be made, but what do these changes mean for your sense of self? Does the physician really understand that her work is life-altering for her patient?
Poetry can address this dislocation. McCulliss states, “…many healthcare providers and their patients are beginning to find solace and comfort in poetry… Beyond dealing with physical concerns like trauma, suffering, disease, and death, these individuals also face psychological and emotional harm—including a loss of personhood, disempowerment, and unrealized goals, especially if they fail to cure or heal.”
Another issue addressed in both my poem and by McCullis is that of choice. She writes that a “poem offers readers an opportunity to write and reflect on choices made.” What factors go into the choice to have elective surgery? What is in the balance for the patient? What is the import of each choice, and does the physician understand the personal meaning of the choices for the individual?
There is also the randomness of chance, the uncertainty of the outcome. McCulliss ends with the observation that “[o]verall, poetry can help patients and physicians deal with every aspect of illness, including diagnoses, treatment, cure, remission, relapse, and the wide range of emotional responses that accompany each period.” Poetry can help us all face the unknown.
Anne Corey is a teacher, writer, and artist living in New York’s Hudson Valley. She has a PhD in Educational Theater from New York University. Her work has appeared in a number of publications, both in print and online, including Sinister Wisdom and JewishFiction .net.