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About our charity and what we stand for
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Arts in Hospitals: How a Gloucestershire Poet Laureate is making a difference for local cancer patients
Thanks to donations, patients and their loved ones at the Gloucestershire Oncology Centre have the opportunity to write poems with our poet in residence Brenda Read-Brown.
In forty sessions throughout the year, Brenda or her apprentice spend time having conversations with patients and their loved ones. They ask them questions, take down details and shape their words into beautiful poetry.
This wonderful project has been running for over 14 years and has made a difference for so many patients. “It’s like an unexpected gift of a bunch of flowers - it won’t change your life but you’ll never forget it,” Brenda Read-Brown, Gloucestershire Poet Laureate emeritus.
“It can really benefit the wellbeing of patients just having a conversation with a stranger and someone to offload on. Most people are astonished by the poems - they put things into words in a way that they could not express themselves.”
Each poem written is unique with poems covering a variety of subjects from family and friends to how they are feeling, poems about pets to hobbies or interests. Some patients ask for poems with a specific purpose in mind; the one below was written with a patient’s wife to reassure her children whilst their Dad was having radiotherapy treatment.
OK to talk
It’s ok to talk about cancer.
It’s not a thing that goes bump on the night.
It might all seem unknown and scary,
but one day, Daddy will be all right.
It’s ok to talk about cancer.
It’s like chicken pox, Covid or flu.
It’s an illness that Daddy has got now,
and if he’s tired - well, sometimes, aren’t you?
It’s ok to talk about cancer.
It’s a challenge, just like a SATS test.
We’ll beat it by raising more money,
in whatever way we can do best.
It’s ok to talk about cancer.
I know that you’re worried today,
but let’s try to keep everything normal,
and one day Dad will be better - hooray!
Every few years, Brenda puts together a selection of the poems into a book and the latest edition will be available soon in the Focus Support Centre.
Thank you to everyone who helps to fund specialist projects like this to improve the patient experience. You can find out more about how your donations support cancer care here.
Making hospital life better
