Grey Matter: because it’s not all black and white…
““Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly — they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.””
Consider Reading Dr. Johanna Shapiro’s perspective piece “Take Two Poems and Call Me in the Morning” for inspiration and to better understand the benefits of poetry in both caring for patients, and for oneself.
Poetry is a means for us to examine the world around us as it affects our individual lives and the lives of others on a deeper, more vulnerable level. On our journeys through healthcare, it is important to step back and reflect upon the ways in which our world views may be changing, shifting, and expanding. We would like to house these journeys here in a space dedicated to promoting the deep contemplation of poetry.
Submissions are welcome from all members of the PBC community and will be categorized in one of the following:
Recognition and Healing: poems that reflect upon the past and recognize the emotional effects surrounding strong experiences
Life As It Is: poems that analyze and explore the current human condition
Insight and Renewal: poems based in anticipation of what the future holds
Narrative Poetry: poems that employ a linear storytelling structure based around a moment of change
Reflective Letters/Statements: short prose pieces (300-500 words) that reflect/revise/reinterpret prior work (consider re-writing your personal statement!) Also consider writing a letter to your past self.