First, I am a black woman.
After that, I’m a lot of things.
I am a soldier.
I have gone to war.
I am a disabled veteran.
I am a sexual assault survivor.
I am a domestic abuse survivor.
I am a protector of women.
I am a mother.
I have survived 8 strokes and 3 heart attacks.
I was dead for over three minutes.
But I am hard to kill.
I am an artist.
I am a poet and through words I tell my life’s story.

Reflections
Perception I hear is
Such a powerful thing
It’s caused a many of wars
Can even make hearts sing
It can bring one up
Sideways tossed all around
Resolve tremendous conflicts
Turning frowns upside down
A one-sided mirror
That lurks within the mind
Changing with a glimpse
Seeking whom it can find
The comical thing about perception
Is its multifaceted sides
How quickly it becomes dangerous
In a place where it can hide
No one truly shares these moments
Instead they allow them free reign
And hence becomes humanity’s fall
Perception now conquers again

Phyllicia LaBoard is a patient family advisor at UVM Medical Center. She has volunteered with us for a year and a half.