Seasons

colour, bursting
behind my eyelids;
I possess it alone
awe of nature
and humanity
tucked inside my heart,
hammering to escape and
diffuse into the world
I have all of the love,
but passing it on is
no longer simple
I’ve learned new ways to
share the joys of life
I let go,
I breathe in
anew

Notes from the interview that inspired this poem:

He’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease a few years ago and it had changed his life. He was a doctor and a college professor, and the disease had taken a huge toll on his ability to express emotions in conversation. Everything he experienced still gave him strong emotional reactions, but he could no longer physically express them like he used to. In the past, his expressiveness and empathy were some of his strongest teaching tools, and without them, it was much more difficult to engage learners. He had decided to retire and seek joy and self-expression in new ways, but hoped to stay in the social circle of the college forever.

Interviewee: Anonymous, Physician
Listener Poet: Elle Klassen