Arts Medicine for Hope & Healing Initiative Founder and Director, Diane Kaufman, MD
  • About
  • Dr. Kaufman
    • NAPT Conference 2016 Keynote Presentation and Testimonial (for power point see Poetry Baby Blog) and More
  • Trauma
  • Science
  • Portfolio
    • Bird That Wants to Fly and More
    • Book Chapters and Presentations
  • Healing Connections
    • Bird is Flying!
    • Poetry Baby Blog
    • Arts & Healing in the News
    • Workshops, Trainings, Conferences and More
  • Testimonials
  • Contact
    • Lease Musical Score for Children's Opera

Three Objects Spoke to Me

4/29/2018

2 Comments

 
Picture

The bird was flying in the darkened night. All around was silence, silence. The young girl who did not know she was an angel, held a garland across her chest - a heart, a crescent moon, a star. She was walking alone on a path. She did not know her destination.

She raised up her eyes to see the moon. To her astonishment, there was no moon to be seen. In its place a beautiful red rose blooming in the sky! And the air was filled with such fragrance! And petal after petal floated in the air, gently caressing her. The flower moon kept opening and opening. The girl began to cry. She had never felt such beauty. 

Certainly she had seen beauty before. But feel it? Feel herself become part of the beauty seen? No. That was a rarity. It took her breath away.

She wondered, "if I exhale will it all vanish? I don't want the flower moon to go away." 

She closed her eyes. "Let this be the only thing I see. My only memory. If I open my eyes again will it still be there?" 

"Should I tell someone?" she asked herself. "What if they disagree or call me foolish or doubt my sanity? What if they claim the vision for their own? Will I be left with nothing?" 

She was alone but for the darkened sky, the blooming iridescent rose moon, the petals falling, the garland's heart, crescent, and star, and the path that was yet to be.

"Maybe I shouldn't move." 

"Maybe I should stay still and silent."

"If this is magic and has meaning - what is it? Do I deserve it?"

"If there is no magic and no meaning - what then?"

The girl sighed. She looked up again.

Flower moon.
Falling petals.
Bird flying.
Darkened sky.

No knowing what to do next, she fell asleep. Was she lying down or standing up? She never could remember. 

She slept and slept. An eternity of flower moons and flower petals. Finally she had the dream she was seeking. The dream she would carry inside her - awake - for all the rest of her days. 

The flower moon was the rose of her heart. 
The petals the love she shared.
The bird flying her spirt's call. 
The silence the worship in her soul. 
The garland her protection from not knowing.

That was so long ago and this is the first time I am telling her story. 

Diane Kaufman, MD
Words for Healing workshop
Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital
​Portland, Oregon  
April 28, 2018 



  

2 Comments

Who Can Justify

4/29/2018

2 Comments

 
I was inspired to write the lyric of Who Can Justify when I read of the tragic death of 20 year old Ria Patel on 9/17/17.  I was imagining how her parents felt and was trying to understand how something so terrible could happen to their daughter. With great appreciation to vocalist Maushalik Williams and composer/producer The Prophet X: for bringing the love and the pain of Who Can Justify to life. 
​
Please Donate to the Ria Foundation: https://theriafoundation.com/.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/man-super-drunk-charged-crash-killed-girlfriend-article-1.3512262.
2 Comments

Pray to Believe

4/29/2018

1 Comment

 
How do we go on after our heart's beloved commits suicide? That is what I was trying to understand and express when I wrote the lyrics to Pray to Believe. I am a child psychiatrist and poet. The words of actor and comedian Jim Carrey moved me:  "We're all so afraid of the river of tears. The fact is, going down the river of sorrow and suffering is the way to freedom," Carrey continued. "I've gone through it and I'm telling you, you don't survive it. You don't come out of it on the other side. You might come out of it with a body, but there's no you attached to it. It's tough to be yourself if you don't have a self.” His ex-girlfriend committed suicide. I have personal and professional associations with suicide as well. I hope my words, The Prophet X's music, and Samantha Smith's voice touches your heart.
1 Comment

Love is Many Colors ~ A Love Poem

4/29/2018

7 Comments

 
I wrote ​Love is Many Colors ~ A Love Poem for my friend Christine's documentary on young adult children who continue to have significant emotional, behavioral, and developmental special needs. The poem is from my experiences as a child psychiatrist seeing the sorrows and the love, the struggles and the triumphs of children and their parents. The poem also comes from a deep place within me. What we yearn for most is connection. The narration is by voice artist Zorwyn Madrone. The composer is Laurent Danis, and his musical piece ,"Le baume," is provided by Jamendo.
7 Comments

Heart, Bones & Soul

4/29/2018

2 Comments

 
Heart, Bones & Soul ~ Narrated Poem, Symphonic Poem & Illustrated Poem. The Heart, Bones and Soul poet is Diane Kaufman, MD. Voice Narration, Illustrated Poem, and Symphonic Poem by the amazingly talented artist, Joris Miguel. The debut of Heart, Bones and Soul was on Easter Sunday. The perfect day for "Who knows how mystery flows... Make your love an offering."
2 Comments

Women of the World

4/29/2018

1 Comment

 
Women of the World is a poem anthem dedicated to women's empowerment. It was written in response to Harvey Weinstein and the #metoo movement, as well as the endlessly devastating reports of domestic violence, murder of women, child abuse, and sex trafficking. The Women of the World author, Diane Kaufman, is a poet, artist and child psychiatrist. The poem was given voice by Cortni Jordan. The media design animator, Lucia Martinez, who lives in Colombia, South America, joined the project through what felt like divine providence as she was chosen amongst many applicants from a freelance site. Ms. Martinez's artistic skill, emotional sensitivity, and her involvement with women's rights made her the perfect partner for Women of the World.
1 Comment

Love's Cry 

3/30/2017

2 Comments

 

"I have been brutally bitten, beat, burned, and spit in my face. Scared for my life by a man emotionally. It’s been very very hard for me to get over. I love your poem. I’m gonna listen to it every day.” Michelle 
 
When I read in the New York Daily News that former Miss Italy Contestant Gessica Notaro's ex-boyfriend had thrown acid in her face and she might go blind, as if her being attacked might not be merely enough violence to warrant a headline, as domestic violence is now so commonplace, I was galvanized to write a poem. Or put another way, the poem was galvanized to have me write it. I had been reading of women being assaulted and murdered by their ex-boyfriends, lovers and husbands for years. I found myself within the last six months saving articles about women being hurt and killed. All the stories of these women, those pain filled words and images stirred wildly inside me. A chaos trying to form itself into some kind of meaning and purpose, that could be shared with self and others. This is how “Love’s Cry” entered the world. It is a poem about domestic violence that has such powerful energy. The sickness of emotional and physical violence must stop. It must be prevented from ever happening. I am a poet, a child psychiatrist, and a humanism in medicine awardee. Of all that I have ever done, I am most proud of Love's Cry. Please do what you can to help Love's Cry be heard around the world. Thank you!    

2 Comments

Trauma and the Work of Art ~ National Association of Poetry Therapy Keynote Presentation ~ April 15, 2016 

1/19/2017

1 Comment

 
1 Comment

Poetry as Life Saver ~ Poetry as Activism 

1/17/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
​A CALL TO EVERYONE! PLEASE SHARE THIS POEM. My contribution to Women’s Rights is "Love Anthem: We Are All Our Mother's Child." I emailed the Rome, Italy Women's March as the poem was finally born from the pain of reading of the acid attack on Gessica Notaro and the countless brutalities against women across the world. Please post the poem and image on your social media sites and share with Women’s Marches in the USA and Internationally. You may need to copy and paste the poem as if you click share it might be just the image that shows up. Free Download of poster at The Amplifier Foundation at http://theamplifierfoundation.org/. The artist is Jessica Sabogal. Many thanks!     

​Love Anthem:
We Are All Our Mother’s Child

I am not your Barbie Doll, boy
I am not your Betty Boop
I am not your Pin-Up Fold Out 
I am not some hole to fill

I am not your sexual slave, boy
I am not your possession 
I am not your made up fantasy 
I am a person of my own

Time to stop playing with dolls, boy
Time to stop raising up your fists 
Time to stop your jealous raging
Time to stop throwing acid in my face

I am not your punching bag, boy 
I am not your victim to dominate 
I am walking out on you, boy
My life is not yours to take

I am not your Barbie Doll, boy
I am not your Betty Boop
I am not your Pin-Up Fold Out 
I am not some hole to fill

Screaming threats to kill me
Saying you love me so much
I am tired of being frightened
This violence has to end 

I am born from life’s blessing
Without women this world can't survive
How dare you ridicule and victimize me
I deserve to be alive

I am not your Barbie Doll, boy
I am not your Betty Boop
I am not your Pin-Up Fold Out 
I am not some hole to fill

I am not your punching bag, boy
I am not your victim to dominate 
I am walking out on you, boy
My life is not yours to take

Time to stop playing with dolls, boy
Time to stop raising up your fists 
Time to stop your jealous raging
Time to stop throwing acid in my face

I am crying for my sisters
I am mourning their vicious end
How I wish I could raise them up 
From the valley of the dead

I just know I have a voice
That has to sing loud and strong 
No longer will I be silenced

Your love is like a killing field 
Women slaughtered and forgotten
Reminders of your brutal hate
 
I am not your Barbie Doll, boy
I am not your Betty Boop
I am not your Pin-Up Fold Out 
I am not some hole to fill

I am crying for my sisters
I am mourning for their loss
How I wish I could raise them up
From the valley of the dead

I just know I have a voice 
That has to sing loud and strong 
No longer will I be silenced
No longer frightened by my fears

I am not your punching bag, boy
I am not your victim to dominate 
I am walking out on you, boy
My life is not yours to take

Love is not a killing field 
With women hunted down
I was born from life’s blessing 
We are all our mother’s child 
We are all our mother’s child

Diane Kaufman, MD
Arts Medicine for Health & Healing
January 14, 2017
0 Comments

Freedom's Song ~ The debut of the Freedom's Song video was on Human Rights Day (December 10th). The honoring of life and our fight for Human Rights and Freedom is every day. 

12/11/2016

1 Comment

 
​Freedom's Song was inspired by the tragic events in our nation following our July 4th celebration of freedom, when African American men were murdered by police officers followed by police officers also being murdered. The goal of Freedom's Song is to honor and memorialize lives that were taken away, and to inspire and strengthen our resolve to "never stop singing" and fighting for the freedom here and in the world, that belongs to "one and all." The debut of the Freedom's Song video was on Human Rights Day (December 10th). How did all this come into being? Composer David Kerr, who is also the founder of Integrity House residential substance abuse treatment program in Newark, New Jersey, was so inspired by my poem Freedom's Song: Days of Sorrow, (he read it on my Facebook page), that he composed (without even telling me), a choral orchestration for the poem and titled it, Freedom's Song. As if this were not amazing enough, Freedom's Song was then brought to glorious life by narrator Jacqueline Anabwani, and the Seton Hall University Chorus and MidAtlantic Opera Orchestra under the baton of famed conductor Jason Tramm at the Ocean Grove Great Auditorium on October 2, 2016. James Manno of JAMMAN Studios was audio producer, and Quinton Tramm was video producer. Freedom's Song will have its debut performance in May 2017 at a World Peace Concert in New Jersey. All this energy and love from a witnessing poem and the caring hearts of all the artists!
1 Comment
<<Previous

    Author

    As a child, Diane Kaufman wrote in her grade school composition that when she grew up she wanted to be a "medical doctor or a medical drawer." Her passion as expressed in poetry, story, and art seeks to inspire positive transformation, to help "humanize" our life experiences, to increase our connection with each other, and bring awareness of Arts Medicine as valuable in promoting and nurturing health, healing and well being. 

    Dedication:
    ​I write this blog to express and release my thoughts and feelings, to heal myself and others. The world is full of suffering. I want to do my part to heal the despairing wound. I want to do my part to comfort the crying baby, the lost child, and the all too often hurt and hurting adult. I have named my Arts Medicine for Health & Healing blog, Poetry Baby, and she calls upon me to give voice and share her spirit: to write, create, be courageous, and most importantly, to have abiding faith in the Almighty Mystery and Power of the Universe to spin the world into loving care and compassion. Our hearts and hands can make this be so. 

    Archives

    April 2018
    March 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly