Poetry Prescriptions: Portiuncula by Patricia Hodgins and her son Tyler

This week’s poem ‘Portiuncula’ was written by Patricia Hodgins, Household Assistant at Portiuncula University Hospital, with her son Tyler, in response to Saolta Arts’ PUH Artist in Residence Programme 2019.

I am working in Portiuncula Hospital nearly 19 years now and I love it. It feels like home to me. I work as part of a unit that to me feels like family and that is so special to have, especially with what is happening now at this very moment in time. As Robert Ingersoll once said ‘We rise by lifting others’ and that is exactly what we do in Portiuncula.

We got the amazing opportunity of writing our poem when the poet Sean Borodale was Writer in Residence in my workplace. It gave me the opportunity to express my emotions as sometimes we don’t get to do that too often. It was like an overflow of emotions I share for the amazing people I work alongside each day and for their dedication to those who trust themselves in our care.

I cannot forget the most important experience of writing this poem. And that is the amazing help of my son Tyler who is nine years old. It was so beneficial to his vocabulary, finding the right words and ryhming them. We had so much fun. 

Patricia Hodgins