I have been writing poetry for decades now—in high school, then as an English major in college, but actually much more in earnest during medical school and beyond.

It has been a companion off-and-on throughout my medical career, waxing and waning with my emotional state, the intensity of work, and time available.

There are many gifts poetry can offer those of us fortunate enough to be in medicine--- it can be a way to memorialize a patient encounter (or really, any human interaction), and sometime become a means to discover or reinterpret the significance of an event, through the act of writing.

It can provide a sense of life and self and validation, outside the crazy maelstrom of being a clinician. 

It can simply feed our creativity, and provide a sense of creative accomplishment and closure.   Poems—unlike novels, or films, or paintings--- can sometimes be come full circle in less than an hour.  (my favorite poems are written in sudden bursts—the longer I spend on them, the crappier they are, pretty universally…)

As I have journeyed deeper into the mysteries of marriage and parenthood, poetry provides a wonderful way to consider and think deeper about the foundational relationships in my life.

I’ve had the privilege of winning a few minor awards and getting published a few times--- all very cool, but the mountain of rejection letters and emails in my life are a testament to the fact that it is far more about the act of creation, than any external recognition.

 Really look forward to seeing any intrepid souls at the upcoming event  to share  some reading and writing ! (no arithmetic, please…)

-Dr. Matt Joseph