Unexpected Gifts

In 1987 Zofia Monika Dove immigrated to Canada from Poland, unable to communicate in English. Her Polish Physiotherapist’s credentials were not recognized but finally in 1989 she was employed as an Occupational Therapy Technician at a large hospital in Winnipeg. For the past 20 years she has worked in Manitoba’s rehabilitation services.

To her surprise, she started writing poetry in English in 2006 after being inspired by one of her clients. Her first critics were gravely ill, elderly people who encouraged her to share her poetry with a wider audience. She began sharing her poetry in various public places: open mic events in local bookstores, nursing homes, assisted living residences, even pubs. Her poems were published by the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, both Grace and St. Boniface Hospitals, and by Cancer Care Manitoba. Her audiences spanned all ages. There were burn survivors, professors involved in teaching writing, lawyers, physicians and even psychologists. She read her poetry to Ukrainian, Polish, Native, Italian and French for whom English was a second language.

Zofia’s poetry has been described by the listeners as deep, inspirational, moving, healing, and universal. She will be reading selections of her work at the 19th Annual Provincial Hospice and Palliative Care Manitoba Conference on September 24th.