May 2025 Letter | John Fox, PPM

Dear Poetic Medicine Friend,

Good day to you!

It is my strong hope that this letter finds you well, even thriving. My hope is touched with an awareness that some of you are coping with illness and doing your best to respond to life challenges. I am hearing of challenges and illness from dear friends. This dear is not merely a word, dearness makes a vulnerable place in my heart.  

I want everyone to know, wherever you are with this, there is a place, there is room for you, dear poetic medicine friend. You may be taking life slow. There is a place, a treasured place, for going slow.  

We know that these days, especially in America, for people of conscience, this is a time of great testing. What do we / I do? I attended a nationwide protest on April 5th and my sign read: 

“Practice Kindness

not cruelty”

I included in my sign powerfully simple artwork by a student, Emerzon Rivera of Honduras. It is four racially diverse hands and arms clasping the forearms of each other. Emerzon participated last year in Merna Ann Hecht’s Stories of Arrival / Word Travels 14-year outreach to immigrant and refugee youth. 

It is also true that even with life challenges and what we are living with in America, you may be creatively thriving.

Teen immigrants and refugees, many who arrive from severely traumatized countries,  show us how possible thriving and resilience still is in the midst of hurt and challenge.  

We can and we must bring this creativity into our lives & communities, into the country and our world. Via poetry and poem-making, via remarkable programs of IPM, our intention & purpose, motivation & prayer is to encourage & celebrate creativity over our entire life-span. 

Please Check This Out!  

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I loved writing the piece of my “Journey to the East” bringing poetic medicine in March to people in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Massachusetts.  So much happened in only 7 days!  We met people in many ways and with a wide-variety of needs.  You can read my generous essay and listen to and watch the exciting conversation (zoom) with my traveling partner friends Jim Elsaesser and Jean Richardson.

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The Institute for Poetic Medicine is able to continue our truly, even surprisingly immense outreach because of support from people like you.  You may be a person directly touched by poetry & healing through IPM, and you may follow what we do with appreciation.  Please don’t let this connection be too quiet – consider how you can help this be true for more people by giving what you can.

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Hurrah for our IPM Team members who help to bring this monthly newsletter to light.  

Kindness and yes, more kindness,   

John Fox 

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Your response to this is welcome. I hope that you will take the time to read the Journey to the east piece and check out the zoom video of the conversation that Jean, Jim and I shared.