{"id":1121,"date":"2018-02-19T12:15:08","date_gmt":"2018-02-19T12:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.scottishmedicalhumanities.org\/human\/?p=1121"},"modified":"2018-04-22T22:31:42","modified_gmt":"2018-04-22T21:31:42","slug":"the-eye-chart-a-view-from-partially-sighted-poet-nuala-watt","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.scottishmedicalhumanities.org\/human\/the-eye-chart-a-view-from-partially-sighted-poet-nuala-watt\/","title":{"rendered":"The eye chart"},"content":{"rendered":"

I scowl towards his voice. He says the map
\nmarks how far vision goes. If I could creep<\/p>\n

up close I\u2019d learn the journey. His technique
\nrestricts me to a chair so he can track<\/p>\n

how far I travel down the chart alone
\nbefore I pause. I grope in the third line \u2013<\/p>\n

my limit the next shape I recognize \u2013
\nthen stop. No way. I still believe my eyes<\/p>\n

can hold a solar system, catch all lights,
\ndeliver to the doctor alphabets<\/p>\n

as small as atoms. But this world is smudge.
\nI\u2019m huddled at the bottom of the page,<\/p>\n

trying to hide my dark. Wherever I am,
\nI\u2019ve bypassed every symbol I can name<\/p>\n

and stumble at my vision\u2019s borders
\nwhere letters are illegible as stars.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Poem written by Nuala Watt.<\/p>\n

Commentary<\/h3>\n

The eye chart is familiar to all doctors. It offers a simple rapid way of assessing visual acuity. But how do patients relate to it?<\/p>\n

Here is one take by partially-sighted Glasgow poet Nuala Watt: Patients have different ways of seeing<\/em> our clinical world!<\/p>\n

More info<\/h3>\n