Poetry

Artist Statement: This piece reflects the experience of a person's deterioration due to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the perspective of their beloved. The loss of personhood and identity is evident in the strange new habits and characteristics of the patient, specifically taken from a psychological lens and a loss of faith and cultural identity. The poem shifts between a tone of dismay and hopelessness on the part of the patient and the dismay of the person's beloved, reflecting how illness (even undiagnosed) can be complex and multidimensional, especially for loved ones. Though reflecting the deterioration of the patient's original personality, the poem also draws inspiration from patterns of faith, religion, and spirituality, which have been drowned out in the search for a new life in the modern world of social media and fame. Thus, a theme of nostalgia is present throughout as the beloved reminisces on past memories of the person she used to know. In the end, it is as if the patient's mind has "preyed" on him, just as he loses the source of meaning in his life, symbolized by the halting of prayer. Words and allusions to Arabic culture and themes are present throughout, reflecting my own cultural heritage and faith. 

Artist Statement: There are indeed many beautiful moments in medicine.  In Remember This, a terminally ill patient reflects on some of the beauty she hopes to remember beyond the grave.  Blue Haiku commemorates how seeing the humanity of the patient can save the doctor's soul. Arthritis highlights the humor, if not the beauty, that we can find in many frustrating medical diagnoses.

Artist Statement: Healthcare can have its moment of coldness, hopelessness, and despair, as some may connect this with the blank white walls in hospital rooms. I wanted to share a brief visualization of hope and warmth created by healthcare professionals and the power of the work they do.