Reflections on identity with aphasia

Meet Dan Pratt, our Artist in Residence spotlight. Dan was a professor at the University of British Columbia and 3M National Teaching Fellowship recipient. Today, he lives in Hampton Place, where he is part of a supportive community that understands his experience with aphasia, which is a disorder that affects communication. As speech became more difficult, Dan found another way to share his voice: poetry.

He has had four poems published in Medical Teacher, an international journal, and continues to write as a way of expressing what matters most to him. Dan enjoys coffee with friends who know how to make space for conversation. He listens intently and when he has something to say, uses his hands to pause the discussion and share his thoughts. Through his writing Dan shares his experience living with aphasia.

Reflections on Identity with Aphasia

Quietly confident, projected
listening before speaking.
Underneath is uncertainty
that I have anything useful to say.

My head and heart
Are giving different messages
One says, ‘Speak up’
The other says be quiet

To be both of those
At the same time
Causes not only dissonance
But a sense of imposter

As I grow older,
Uncertainty goes deeper
Then I go silent
for longer periods of time

Yet, I'm confident in my soul
Because it remains humble,
Knowing my family loves me
For who I am

My journey
is to be humble
Both on the inside
and on the outside

I'm coming closer
To the final destination
Of my life
And of my soul

Dissonance is reduced
To silent confidence
Outwardly, confident
Inwardly, silent & humble

Yet, confident
That this is how
I shall be
This is how, I shall be