New Sandals

Leather strap, pale feet -

a sandy road. Pines, puddles, splash.

Later, pain is sharp.

This Haiku poem is about a foot injury that followed a trip to the beach with my son (he is the 'splash'). Although it was minimal compared to what some of my patients experience, I had sharp foot pain for about two weeks. It seems my new sandals compressed the nerve and damaged a muscle so that every step was a challenge until the effects of rest, ice and acupressure could take hold. I believe that it is important for all people and especially those on the frontlines of medicine to reflect deeply on personal experiences so that they can make better connections with those in pain. It is sometimes difficult for the very young and the very fortunate to understand the suffering of others and an extra effort is required; poetry is a medium that encourages reflection.

Beth Murinson