Art, life and the healing power of poetry
"She gets it; she just gets it." These are the comments Alysa Cummings hears most often during the Fox Chase Virtua Health (FCVH) Cancer Program's Pink Ribbon Poetry group, where the writing of breast cancer survivors is celebrated. Twice a month, women gather for the workshop, led by Cummings and Marietta Penska, MSW, FCVH oncology social worker, to read the works of published survivors and to craft their own original pieces to share.
As a five-year survivor herself, Cummings believes that writing is a healing process for women with breast cancer. She knows firsthand that it helps survivors express powerful feelings that result during the challenging journey from diagnosis through treatment to recovery.
Cummings, who is currently working toward certification as a poetry therapist, says: "Poetry allows cancer survivors to connect with others who are going through the same thing. It's so powerful to read a poet's words and say to yourself: 'She understands. It's not just me. She feels that way too.'" To sample some of poems, visit Virtua's Pink Ribbon Poetry Corner. To join the group, call 1-888-Virtua-3.