Angie Machovec survived a traumatic brain injury on her last day of high school when she was 17. Struck by a car when she crossed the street to go home, it was like any other day. But her world completely changed at that moment. She was in a coma for about a month, spent 3 weeks in rehabilitation, was discharged home and then had out patient rehabilitation.

She wrote these poems in summer 2002 while in a creative writing course. Writing poetry after her brain injury helped her understand her emotions and accept what had happened in her life.

The loss of speech can feel devastating to the survivor of a brain injury. Katherine Kimes writes about the frustration, persistence and sheer effort required as she learned how to speak and communicate again by forming syllables and words one by one after the car crash that resulted in her brain injury.

She is now an eloquent writer and uses language to express the emotional turmoil that accompanied her communication impairment.

I had a Brain Injury due to Acute Spinal Meningitis. I was in a coma for over 56 hours and found out about Brain Injury three years ago! I was upset and decided to write poems to express myself and my inner emotions. Writing poetry has helped to relieve the anger from inside me.
I used the “White Dove” symbol because I have a lot of high spirits and want to share my feelings with people. I want to let them know not to give up, but get involved with our communities so people are aware there are ways to cope with Brain Injury.
Many of us want to be our old selves again but Brain Injury will not let us! We have encouragement and many things we can share with others with Brain Injury. We should care for and support each other.

Surviving a traumatic brain injury gave Jason Ferguson a new outlook on life. Writing poetry about his survival helps him rebuild his life and face new challenges. Despite the losses and changes in his life after his brain injury, he is thankful that he did not die. Giving thanks to have survived his injury has given new meaning to his life as he finds new beginnings and new adjustments each day.

Using poetry to express the emotional trauma that followed her traumatic brain injury, Vicki Sue Parker expresses the pain and loss in her life. Having survived her brain trauma, she writes about the change in her self-image and the loss of her identity as she reshaped her understanding of her new self and her altered abilities.

Poetry expresses the emotions, pain, loss and anguish that followed her traumatic brain injury as Vicki Sue Parker reveals the changes and contradictions in her life. Having survived her brain trauma, she finds that many do not recognize the less visible cognitive disabilities that come with changes in thinking, learning, and problem solving. Her brain injury is not like a broken bone. Friends can’t see it so they have difficulty understanding that her brain has been injured.

A traumatic brain injury alters the relationship between husband and wife.
Filled with the excitement and joy of her new marriage, becoming injured and disabled was the last thing Vicki Sue Parker expected. Her poetry expresses the anguish of lost dreams and promises with the void of coma and the despair of recovery. Having survived, she has a second chance to build a new but different life.

The loss of her sense of self and identity after her traumatic brain injury leaves Vicki Sue Parker feeling alone and confused. This poem by a brain injury survivor expresses the emptiness, loss and anguish of brain injury that only survivors can understand. It shows how enormous the losses are for survivors of brain injury as they struggle to rebuild their sense of self.

This poem about being in coma after a traumatic brain injury describes the mysteries of the mind and the brain. While family members stay by the bedside with hope and fear, the mind and spirit fight to be heard.

This poem by Ashley Byblow eloquently expresses what we do not know or understand about coma and what goes on in the survivor’s mind and brain during loss of consciousness.

Brain injury or stroke can result in changes in communication for the survivor. Aphasia can affect the survivor’s ability to communicate. Loss of speech, difficulty speaking and understanding others, and changes in the ability to read and write can feel overwhelming.

Vaughn Stone is a former psychologist, marathoner, bicyclist, gardener, and a master of language. After a life-threatening car and bicycle accident, he faced new challenges with his physical abilities and communication. About six months after his accident, he began writing a poem every day. Although his writing has too often been interrupted by set backs, therapy and other distractions, he continues to write. His new life work has become regaining a piece of what he had. Although it has been difficult for him to speak verbally, his written poetry speaks with eloquence. His writing shows the complexity of the brain and the challenges and frustration of aphasia.