Abstract
Body Turned Battlefield is a poem that uses the metaphor of war to explore the lived experience of chronic inflammatory illness. Through imagery of community, betrayal, and resilience, the poem examines what it means to inhabit a body that becomes both protector and threat. Rather than offering a narrative of cure or resolution, the piece reflects on vigilance and adaptation as forms of survival, ultimately reclaiming the body as a site of endurance and self. In doing so, the metaphor extends beyond illness to reflect the universality of internal conflict and resilience.
Author Melanie Page is an aspiring physician currently completing a Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Medical Sciences. She has a strong interest in patient experience, narrative medicine, and holistic approaches to care.
Recommended Citation
Page, Melanie
(2026)
"Body Turned Battlefield,"
Survive & Thrive: A Journal for Medical Humanities and Narrative as Medicine: Vol. 11:
Iss.
1, Article 10.
Available at:
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/survive_thrive/vol11/iss1/10