Today is the first run of the Poetry Clinic here at the Norwich University College of the Arts, a scheme that gets people involved with other courses and to enhance peoples literacy skills.
Summary
As you walk through the door you are greeted with a messy, studio filled with objects that have been collected, in the far corner there is a fellow student dress up like a typical secretary, with laptop, filing tray and the standard grey folders that have the doctors notes in. As you sit there filling in the very brief form you can hear the doctor with patients as there is not a door between the waiting area, the place with a few red chairs that promote you to sit up straight, for fear of back injury.
Once you are called up you go into the doctor’s room and start to explain your symptoms, real or made up and the doctor will talk to you about things so that there is a diagnostic so that the specific medical treatment can be applied, in my case these were “Poetry Pills” which contained 2 short poems which are charming and somewhat enlightening.
The experience is worth the 30 minute wait and the idea is very well executed, despite the lack of proper organisation, and there is going to be additional sessions which will include alternative prescriptions, Poetry Tape, Poetry Bandage, Poetry Plasters, Poetry Pills and for those moments that no one wants, Poetry Blue Pills. I will be attending additional sessions when they become available with the thoughts that the layout and structure will be improved past this