HUMANITIES IN MEDICINE

WILLIAM CARLOS WILLIAMS POETRY COMPETITION

Forty years ago, the American poet-physician William Carlos Williams was honored through the founding of a new national poetry competition in his name at NEOMED. It was a simple concept, one that thrives today: Medicine students from the U.S. (including Puerto Rico) and Canada submit poems, and the top winners, as judged by the Wick Poetry Center at Kent State University, are invited to NEOMED to share their work — alongside a guest speaker — with NEOMED students.

Due to COVID-19, the spring 2020 and 2021 events had to be held virtually, but nothing can stop these poets from writing.

Water was a second-place winner in the 2021 contest. Its author, Dana Vigue, was then a fourth-year student working toward an M.D./Ph.D at Harvard Medical School. e 40th Annual William Carlos Williams Poetry Competition will accept submissions through Dec. 31.

Water

An opaque silicone tube punctures her belly. Secured with gauze. Connected to life trickling down from an IV pole. Food, medicine, hydration.

All that she needs.

My hand over hers, I ask if she is comfortable. Her brow furrows above eyes squeezed tight. “Water,” she begs.

Dry mouth and cracked lips. I offer a wet sponge. She grimaces. I apologize, eyes downcast. She cannot swallow.

I am doing everything I can. I am doing absolutely

nothing.

We both breathe shallowly. I look around the room but hospital windows do not open.

Poets have said they find room to breathe in the clean, white space between stanzas.

I breathe deeply into these pages. The frenzy inside dissipates through the vast blank space. I feel the relief I so desperately want to give to her.

I long to bear more for her than just

witness.

Is there a ventilator setting that would give her room to breathe?