Narrative Matters: Poems On Vulnerable Populations And Patients

http://goo.gl/yXkkC8

Editor’s note: This spring, Health Affairs held its first ever poetry contest. Three winning poems were published in the journal. We’re also featuring some of our other favorites on the Blog throughout the month of October.

Mental Illness Runs In My Blood

My lineage has holes

family members who have held clippers

to the branch keeping them on the family tree

ropes hanging from its arms are ribbons tied to fingers

help you to remember

my grandma draws crochet needles through

all of these dropped stitches

her job to stop the apple

falling so far from the tree.