Irène Mathieu: the benediction of Our Lady of Hyperglycemia
the benediction of Our Lady of Hyperglycemia
there are a lot of things they
don’t teach you in Catholic school.
for instance, is there such a thing
as overdosing on prayer?
does martyrdom become a health hazard
at any point before knives are involved?
how can we feel the quiet current
of Too Much in our capillaries
and root it out before fossilizing
in sugar silt?
if we distill our blood will we
be considered for beatification?
and isn’t the fork a way
to worship, too?
my grandpa is a down South
Catholic. on Christmas, he said,
they used to drink and box.
he said they used to ride into the fields
and suck juice from sugarcane
were always full of gumbo
pecan pies, pound cake, hog’s head cheese
blood sausage, red beans and rice, half-shell oysters
wouldn’t dream of spilling a sweet sauce drop.
this is the way it was done in New Orleans,
the most Catholic city north of the Gulf.
when you die, thick-blooded,
you will die full of tastes and walk through
the door to the Holy Trinity simmering in pork fat.
there are things you could eat
or sacrifice, and someone would name
you a saint on account of either one.
Discussion Questions
What words or phrases stood out to you most in Dr. Mathieu’s poem?
There is tension in the poem between medicalized descriptions like ‘hyperglycemia’ and ‘capillaries’ and the rich language of food, culture, and pleasure — “wouldn’t dream of spilling a sweet sauce drop / this is the way it was done in New Orleans.” How does the poem explore this tension? Is it resolved? Do you relate to this tension?
Reflections from #MedHumChat
“In writing this poem I was exploring how, coming from a NOLA Creole family, food/eating is so bound up in emotion & spirituality. So it's critical to wellness, even though in medicine we often focus more on the nutritional content of foods.” —@gumbo_amando
“One of the things that I loved most about this poem is how rich the language of medicine can be, when wedded to the language of smells and tastes that arguably make life worth living.” —@alessacolaMD
“We carry the flavors of our lives with us for a very long time. Love that our biographies are written on these layers.” —@quickmuse
“I don't think that the tension is resolved but I don't know if it can be. These rich, delicious foods are both good for you and horrible for you at once. Can we really give up culturally significant, soul healing food even if we know that it can hurt us?” —@DianaCejasMD
About this #MedHumChat
“the benediction of Our Lady of Hyperglycemia” was paired with “Meat Slurry and My Particular Brand Of Optimism,” an essay by Dr. Diana Cejas for a #MedHumChat discussion January 30, 2019 exploring The Messy Relationship between Food and Medicine.
We were honored to be joined by special guests Dr. Irène Mathieu, MD (@gumbo_amando) and Dr. Diana Cejas, MD for this #MedHumChat. Dr. Cejas (@DianaCejasMD) is a child neurologist and Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina with an interest in medical education and improving health outcomes.
The pieces for this chat, along with the discussion questions, were selected by Colleen Farrell.
About the Author
Dr. Irène Mathieu, MD (@gumbo_amando) is a pediatrician, writer, and public health researcher with a focus on community-engaged research, trauma and resilience, and health equity. You can learn more about her here.