The Shift by Chidube Nkiruka, Listener Poet — The Good Listening Project

Origin Story

This poemee struggled naming her “why.” Throughout her 25 years with the American Cancer Society, her “why” has evolved.

She believes that most of those who have connected with ACS began with a personal connection, but then, according to her, “you evolve, and you shift.” Therefore, what is needed most is the ability to adapt and to be resilient. As a leader, she sees her “why” as empowering her staff to find their “why” and shift their “why” when needed.

Chidube Nkiruka, Listener Poet
Our Why: Stories from the American Cancer Society’s Patient Support Team
November 2024
Presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference 2025

The Shift

By Chidube Nkiruka, Listener Poet

floating down stream
on a debris of grief
the river of providence
drew us here
hungry for answers
thirsty for strength
naked for community
arriving on the shores
of serenity
hoping to find treasure
discovering jewels
of purpose and meaning
but after exhausting
our personal motives and fulfillment
many of us found ourselves
searching for new resources
to survive and thrive
on an island not as paradise
as we thought
we were not the exception
to the rule
no nonprofit is a utopia
and all are plagued sometimes with
a mono diet of workplace conflicts
rainy seasons of high turnover rates
and beasts of metrics
that prey and threatened to dehumanize our mission
this made us re-question
our why
at first this seems
like a scary thing
but it’s a necessary thing
turns out it might be the very thing
we need to continually carry out
this extraordinary thing
because whatever brought us here
may not be what keeps us here
we may need a shift
not in location but perspective
contrary to medical opinion
we may need to enlarge our hearts
embrace the entire human stratosphere
not just family members and friends we all hold dear
never forgetting their memories
but engineering bridges extending empathy
connecting personal stories to stories more global
we may need a shift
erecting structures
sheltering our patients
from disease with the best of science and technology
but also sheltering all of our health workers
battling compassion fatigue
for those front line and those behind the scenes
we may need a shift
directing the next generation
to find their way and their why
be available to them
when they feel something
is adrift
we can tell them all is well
You are needed now
more than ever before
the mission continues
congratulations and
welcome to the shift

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