4. Nguyen’s “To
Live” (video) (6:42)
This
scrolling line poem was inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s movie classic, “Ikiru” (“To
Live”). The poem has been presented at numerous national and
international meetings, including the First International Conference
on Engaging Reflection, London, ON, Canada, May 2009.
The music video that I will show you begins with footage from the film Ikiru directed by Akira Kurosawa. The word “ikiru” means “to live.” In this film, a man is diagnosed with stomach cancer. It is then that he begins to discover what it truly means to live.
I have also written a fictional narrative. It is inspired by the themes and ideas encountered in visits with our family volunteers and those themes and ideas explored in our small groups. I believe that those important details of the patient’s narrative are what resonate the most and make the story real. Lastly, the song that I have chosen is titled “Hospital Beds” by the band Cold War Kids. Some of the lyrics go:
The joy
The joy
The joy and misery
Put out the fire boys
Don’t stop, don’t stop
Put out the fire on us