How a Speech Therapist Found a Veteran's Lost Book of Poems
John O'Neill is a veteran who published a book of poems during the Vietnam era. When speech-language pathologist Macy Barley, M.S., CCC-SLP, met him, he no longer had a copy.
From declining therapy to motivated participant
HealthPro Heritage therapists have provided physical, occupational, and speech therapy at CSM Bennie G. Adkins State Veterans Home, John's residence, since the building opened in September 2024. At first, John often resisted therapy. Macy says that changed as the team got to know him personally, and he became one of the most motivated participants in therapy.
Macy began building a memory book with him. In it, John mentioned that he used to write poetry and had published a book. He wanted help finding it.
The search
Macy pieced together what John shared: he had attended a community college in Connecticut, and she knew roughly what was happening in the world at the time. Little from the 1960s and 70s was online, but she found a phone number for the college library and called. The librarian was glad to hear from her. The library was digitizing its old records, and she asked for a few days.
First came an old yearbook and photographs John had not seen in years. A week later, the librarian emailed Macy to say she had found his book. It is now digitized and available online.
Poetry Hour
Another veteran at the home, also a poet, was working with speech therapy. The team added a Poetry Hour to the activities calendar. Every couple of weeks, the two choose poems to share with other veterans and staff, and John reads from the book he wrote.
Macy says what stands out is how much of his writing comes from the Vietnam era: his thoughts and feelings from that time. Revisiting it has helped him piece together parts of his past and carry them into the present.
Honoring Our Heroes
We are proud to work care for veterans like John every day. If your community serves veterans, ask your Program Manager about our special Discovery Series: Honoring Our Heroes.
