CELESTE :
this poem was written as a commentary on the trivialization of women’s healthcare in the face of mostly male doctors and health providers. my goal when writing this was to use the vibrancy and natural cadence of women’s language to shed light on the condescension towards young girls and women of color in the doctor’s office. here are two brilliant reads into the dismissal of women’s health concerns and the deadly risks it poses: This Is How the American Healthcare System Is Failing Black Women by Erika Stallings and When Doctors Downplay Women’s Health Concerns by Camille Noe Pagán of the New York Times.