There are so many stories all over our physical world that are just waiting for us to invent or discover. Washington, DC is full of these stories. They are in quotes carved into buildings, in small plaques on benches, rocks, the sidewalk, and in great big statues in the middle of circles or on the side of the road. New stories for us to discover if we take the time to read, to learn, and to look around us.
This blog is intended to bring these stories out from the stone and into our lives.
We write this blog with anticipation of an exciting journey into people's lives who we may never know, but who will enrich our own with their humanity and all the beauty and difficulties that they bring.
First stop: The North entrance/exit of Dupont Circle Metro Station on Q and 20th Streets in Northwest.
Quote: THUS IN SILENCE IN DREAMS' PROJECTIONS, RETURNING, RESUMING, I THREAD MY WAY THROUGH THE HOSPITALS; THE HURT AND THE WOUNDED I PACIFY WITH SOOTHING HAND, I SIT BY THE RESTLESS ALL DARK NIGHT-SOME ARE SO YOUNG;SOME SUFFER SO MUCH-I RECALL THE EXPERIENCE SWEET AND SAD,...WALT WHITMAN 1865
This is a portion of a poem called The Wound Dresser-a sixty five line poem that Whitman wrote based on his experiences as a volunteer nurse during the Civil War in Washington, DC. It is a quote that was inspired by this area, as Whitman was drawn to DC because of the opportunity to care for the sick and dying during the war. Whitman, a Northerner, came to the DC metropolitan area in search of his soldier brother, who he feared had died. After he found him alive and only slightly wounded in Virginia, Whitman caught a ride back in to the city with other wounded soldiers. While he intended to only stay a short-time, Whitman ended up living in DC until the end of the war and spent most of his time traveling to various hospitals, caring for soldiers and cheering them up as he could.
The quote was added in the summer of 2007 through a partnership with Metro and the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities to honor caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS. This was initiated by Metro Board and Councilmember Jim Graham who stated 'We now honor the hundreds of volunteer men and women who came forward in the earliest days of the AIDS epidemic when so little was known, but when the horrors were most profound. Under the most trying circumstances, these efforts made the critical difference. As volunteer president of Whitman-Walker Clinic in the early 1980s, I well remember those trying times and the great strengths of the people who made it just a bit more humane."
It is easy to see the parallels between Whitman's work with the dying in the Civil War, and the work of doctors, nurses, and caregivers in our community today. The entirety of Whitman's poem reflects the every day nature of caring for the soldiers as well as the profound impact they had on Whitman's life and his outlook on the war. (The whole poem: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/237970)
Metro General Manager John Catoe said "We hope that the poetry reminds all of us about the imporance and necessity of their caring work." I hope this poem inspires us all to remember to care for those around us, and to appreciate those people that have made it their career to care for the most vulnerable in This quote has reminded me to be especially thankful for the work of all of the clinics in the city. And I cannot help but think especially of Joseph's House (http://www.josephshouse.org/), a hospice home for people who are homeless and dying. I have heard many wonderful stories of this community and am thankful for all who support their work.
Extra note: while this is the last stanza of the poem, it is not actually the last lines. The last lines, which were written in parenthesis, go as follows: (Many a soldier's loving arms about this neck have cross'd and rested. Many a soldier's kiss dwells on these bearded lips.)
Stay tuned for more...
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