This journal was filled with so many different perspectives and takes on a wide variety of topics. One poem that stood out to me was In Which I Make the Case I am Not Stupid (the Cognitive Assessment) by Allison Ruvidich. After reading this poem it seems to be about someone with a learning disorder or struggling to perform mathematics. Once I listened to Ruvidich say her piece and hearing all the inflections that she used in her tone it gave the poem even more meaning, you could hear the feelings behind the words.
Another poem that was very intriguing to me was A Postpartum Night by Reuben Tacas. This poem was from the perspective of a mother who was struggling with postpartum depression. In this poem, Tacas highlights the insensitive behavior that is shown in response to birthers who go through postpartum depression. Tacas in lines 9 – 12 writes how the mother felt that she was cut, stabs, and made to bleed by the doctors only so they could get to her baby. Reading these lines I get the feeling that the mother in the poem felt discarded and thrown to the side. Another aspect that Tacas brings into the poem is a miscarriage, Tacas weaves in the experience of the mother’s previous miscarriage which adds another layer to how the mother must be dealing with her postpartum depression. The author of this poem, Rueben Tacas, states he is a male nurse which makes it interesting that he chose a topic that is so out of his realm of experience. Tacas states that he drew his inspiration from testimonies, autobiographies, and photographs that helped him in his writing.
The writing by Alejandro Ramirez Pandemania put a face to those who lost their lives to covid. During this COVID-19 pandemic, we all hear about the new death count, but for many, it does not feel real because it is not happening to you personally. Ramirez includes a holistic background of his Papa and his relation to health medicine. Ramirez says that his Papa is a tough person who seems to view death as something that is natural and really cares that he is not a burden to anybody when he does pass away. Reading this story about something so personal in Ramirez’s life makes me think about my grandfather. I relate to this as well, my grandfather is a very prideful man who will always present himself as doing well both mentally and physically. My grandparents and the rest of my family live in India currently and the current COVID-19 crisis makes me incredibly nervous for my family. Ramirez writes about the mistakes that the medical healthcare system made which makes me think about how the infrastructure of India’s medical infrastructure. The medical infrastructure of India in rural and suburban areas is currently overwhelmed and underfunded due to the COVID -19 pandemic. Overall Pandemania truly makes me think about my own family and their relation with the healthcare system.
The poems and stories that were written in “The Health Humanities Journal” helped me understand and learn about so many different personal stories and perspectives from skilled writers who truly poured hard work into their final product.
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