Chroniclly Challenged

In honor of World Poetry Day, we are excited to share a poem written by a DSN member. Thank you Hannah for sharing your work with us!

Popping, cracking, and snapping comes from me

This is not how my life is supposed to be

I am in pain and crying for it to stop – can’t you see?

This debilitating pain has brought me to my knees

From joint dislocations to brain fog to stretch marks on my skin

I try and fight for a “normal” life – but I never seem to win

All the subluxations and twisting have left me quite sore

All the pain – both physical and emotional – have sunk into my core

No one notices that I scream and beg to be saved

As people often tell me how strong I am and how brave

I don’t feel brave or strong or anything in between

Because my pain and suffering have yet to be seen

Waking up on my wooden bedroom floor

My muffled whimpers aren’t heard through my bedroom door

Laying on our living room floor – with my legs up a wall

It may seem silly to some – but it often helps after all

The dizziness is constant – going everywhere I go

While nausea and stomach pain is all I seem to know

From fainting to migraines to ringing in my ears

Concussions and injuries are on my list of fears

Convulsing and thrashing and moaning on the ground

The cause of these seizure-like episodes are yet to be found

Just a trip to the grocery store leaves me stuck for days in bed

As I lay there trying to fight back the tears my eyes want to shed

No matter how hard I try – invisible is all I seem to feel

My illness is not like most conditions– as mine will never heal

I feel as if I am drowning in a deep blue ocean that no one sees

Can’t someone be brave and try and rescue me?

I feel like a burden, a fake, and that I cause everyone strife

Am I really going to go through this for the rest of my life?

I see stares and funny looks when I wear my braces

And my being in my wheelchair often brings confused faces

I may look totally normal in stranger’s eyes

But in reality, I am crumbling and fighting for my life inside

My conditions may not kill me – but they suck the life out of me

All I have ever wanted is to be healthy, happy, and free

The opinions expressed in the republishing of blogs are not the opinion of DSN or its affiliates.