Food for Thought: A Poetry Cafe (Presented by UCSF MERI Center for Education in Palliative Care)

Chammas, Co-Director of Patient and Caregiver Education at The MERI Center for Education in Palliative Care, UCSF/Mt Zion.

In this one-hour Poetry Café, co-sponsored by the MERI Center for Education in Palliative Care, participants explore creativity through the art of poem-making.

During the session, participants will:

• Create a safe environment with a short guided meditation and music.
• Listen to poems read aloud and explore how they make them feel.
• Use specific words or prompts to encourage their own poem-making.
• Share their poetic explorations.

In challenging times, poetry can help people express feelings and connect with creativity and community. Participants are invited to use poetry writing as self-care and explore their feelings, fears, and hopes.

You do not need to be a writer to participate.

Making poems can surprise us, allow creative expression of feelings, and guide our healing journey.