A dear friend of mine has been suffering from multiple sclerosis for years. She and I sat down one day for tea and she described how much she missed the days before this disease took hold of her. As we sat together crying my heart ached for her and could only imagine what she was feeling. This poem is written with that in mind.
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Once upon a long, long time ago supple soft and sweet
muscles now snap crackle and twinge like stale rubber bands
driving her wits to nerve’s end
brittle as over roasted nuts caught in candy
she slams into memories
of swings and playgrounds jumping off jungle gyms
chasing ice cream trucks and silly boys
fancy free from coodies and expectation
needles and pins push her flesh into the eye of a needle
pricking at her arms relentless
screaming from the inside with convection like precision
twitching wakes her from elusive slumber
shaking off the down quilt that suddenly turns cement
holding her body captive once again
swarms of bees nip at the nape of her neck
travelling to shoulders consuming like wings of fire
such it is for her
if only dreams came true to fly free
feeling safe in her skin again.
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