\u2018The poem just poured out\u2019<\/h2>\n
\u201cThis poem started from a debate I had,\u201d Ortiz recalled. \u201cSomeone said, \u2018Life is hard.\u2019 And I said, \u2018No, life is easy. Breathing is easy. Living, that\u2019s the hard part because it takes action.\u2019 From that thought, the poem just poured out.\u201d<\/p>\n
What began as a single sentence evolved into a fully formed, rhyming poem\u2014a style Ortiz admits isn\u2019t his usual. \u201cEven the music therapist who first worked with me said, \u2018You\u2019re rhyming now?\u2019 I guess that\u2019s just how it came out this time,\u201d he said with a laugh.<\/p>\n
But Ortiz\u2019s journey didn\u2019t begin with poetry. It began in pain.<\/p>\n
In the late 2000s, Ortiz was homeless\u2014couch surfing with relatives and struggling with chronic back pain. A trip to VA for pain relief led to aquatics therapy, which in turn introduced him to a recreation therapist who encouraged him to participate in creative arts groups<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe saw something in me I didn\u2019t,\u201d Ortiz said. \u201cI joined this silly pool dance with five big, grumpy Vietnam vets. We floated a table in the pool and danced to the \u2018Banana Boat (Day -O) Song.\u2019 We didn\u2019t know it then, but that was the start of everything.\u201d<\/p>\n Their impromptu performance earned a bronze medal at the local VA competition and caught the attention of a music therapist. From there, Ortiz found a space where he could simply exist\u2014sitting silently in sessions until gradually, music pulled him out of isolation.<\/p>\n \u201cI started off with a hoodie on and headphones in, not even playing music, just sitting in the room. Over time, I began helping with sessions, running the CD player, joking with other Veterans. And one day I asked, \u2018If I sing, can I come to the Thursday singing group?\u2019 She said yes. And I never stopped coming.\u201d<\/p>\n Ortiz\u2019s participation blossomed into a string of NVCAF appearances\u2014singing duets, performances and ultimately writing. The festival gave him more than a creative outlet\u2014it gave him a roadmap to recovery.<\/p>\n Through his time in music therapy and VA programs, Ortiz learned to name the emotions he had long suppressed\u2014depression, anxiety, anger. Therapy revealed the emotional injuries beneath the surface of his physical pain.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it was just my back. But there was more damage. Through creative arts and therapy, I found the words and tools to really heal,\u201d Ortiz said.<\/p>\n His healing journey also led him to higher education. With support from VA\u2019s vocational rehab program, Ortiz enrolled at St. Joseph\u2019s College, eventually earning a degree in recreational therapy.<\/p>\nLearning to name emotions<\/h2>\n
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