I’ve been going through some of the “Professional Ethics” assignments I received from our third year physiotherapy students, and wanted to share this one with you (with the students’ permission). It was written by Basil Buthelezi, and which I think really showcases the wonderful talents our students have, which we would never usually encounter because we focus so much energy on the clinical component of physiotherapy education.
The assignment was to explore the theme of Human rights in South African healthcare, using any media that the students wanted. So far, I’ve received a fictional newspaper front page (which I’m hoping to put up here as well), been directed to this blog, and now this poem by Basil. I wanted to share it because I think it illustrates the potential that students have to amaze us when we give them the opportunity to speak with their own voices. Here’s the poem by Basil Buthelezi…
Site of entertainment (voices personalising HIV / AIDS)
I’m all over,
From the person next to you,
In the neighbourhood and,
All four corners of the world.
They all bow for me,
From TB to Cancer,
From strokes to the paralysed,
Beautiful or ugly,
From infants to the elderly,
Rich or poor,
White or black, “colour with no discrimination”,
But all the negativities in me.
Fair enough,
I’m tired of tears and the angry faces of stranded orphans,
Hopeless,
Harmless,
Hungry,
Homeless,
Their tears have given birth to an ocean.
Yes, my throat is dry, but I can’t drink in this ocean because it’s dirty,
All infected, the attack of vampires is in full swing,
Kill them, kill them all!!
Seize the duplication.
Dollars and dollars,
I have explored their pockets and robbed their monies,
Monies buying antiretrovirals
To keep me low, yet
The dead sentence is coming.
Graves and graves,
If they were coloured red
This world will be red, red
Red for danger
Red bloody red.
The equation is shifting,
Outplaying the moments of pleasure,
Abstain to restore the equilibrium
“Be faithful” is a song of goodwill.
If not!
Pause, before you explore the site of entertainment,
Have you worn a jacket to protect you,
To protect you from hot and juicy stuff?
I know you want to be happy down there…,
But you need a license to enjoy,
Cause I’m like a vampire waiting to attack
And destroy the essence of your life.
Basil Buthelezi (2009)
Hi Cathrionah
Thanks for your comment. It’s always great to hear from students who live outside of South Africa, as I enjoy hearing what other physiotherapy programmes offer. I hope that the remainder of your studies go well.
I am a third year student taking Physiotherapy studies in Divine Word University,Papua New Guinea. Since its a new strand of studies in my country, I am so fortunate and I’m so happy that I am in this field of health studies. Now we are writing physiotherapy ethics and doing assignments on standards of physiotherapy of the developed and developing countries and relating it to Papua New Guinea.
Thus, this post is very helpful and inspires me to write up something good and realistic of my country.
Thank you.