DIALOGUE IV: Reflections & Questions
Reflections on DIALOGUE IV from Start at Belonging
Tara
When I revisit this poem, I am reminded of how poorly Parkinson’s is understood, even within healthcare. Misconceptions about early Parkinson’s in particular, create barriers that impact quality of life for people with Parkinson’s and their families.
I was intrigued by Sam’s use of cubes and boxes. They prompted me to consider what is confined, transported, or contained. The imagery also evoked the way we navigate healthcare systems, performing different roles in different spaces. I wanted direct language to convey urgency and reflect the repeating motion of the cubes. The phrase “we are people with Parkinson’s” is deliberately repeated—I’ll leave it to readers to interpret why.
QUESTION PROMPTS
How does the imagery of waiting and isolation resonate with your experiences of healthcare or other institutional systems?
Which images, lines, or phrases stood out as particularly powerful or unsettling? Why?
How do the repeated references to “people with Parkinson’s” shape your understanding of the challenges faced by thi community?
What emotions do the images of silos, shadows, and crammed bodies evoke?
How do you interpret the ‘ticking time bomb’ imagery in relation to the broader healthcare crisis?
