A Pound's a Pound - Migraine
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* I am proud to say that this poem was the featured item on the front page of the International Migraine Foundation - the publication, web site and FaceBook public page - and it will be featured again in the near future. (Re-post). *
there are mornings that I wake
within the confines of my bed
with a stabbing and excru-
ciating pain inside my head
I'm told it's called a "migraine"
hemiplegic, more exact
and I've had them now, as I recall
as far as thoughts go back
it's really very rare, it seems
for men, I've beat great odds
so I guess I should feel privileged -
I'm the pet of headache gods!
I used to get them through the day
there were drugs that I could take
but now they fester while I dream
fully-blown when last I wake
my eyes, I can't keep open
ANY light is far too much
the smallest sound is agony
as is the slightest touch
if there's food inside my stomach
well, the nausea brings it forth
and if there's NOT, then dry-heaves
will soon send the bile north
I often feel I've had a stroke
with weakness in one sphere
my face will droop to just one side
I’m quite numb below the ear
I can't describe the pain, be-
cause mere words do not exist
to fully capture, with a phrase
that quite conveys the gist
with me it starts behind the eye
and often spreads from there
to encompass my entire skull
and throb from-ear-to-ear
it feels like every part of me
has traveled to that spot
that every neuron's being pierced
with steel that burns white-hot
they used to be quite harmless
just these ugly, painful jokes
but hemiplegic migraines
can result in death or strokes
there's nothing else quite like them
and with that, I understate
but safe to say they're awful
and a horrid twist of fate
I've had them for a lifetime now
most likely for the rest
but I know that there's a reason -
that they're really just a test
one reminder that we’re still alive
and blessed with inner strength
to deal with migraines as they are
whate’er their breadth or length
so, every time I have one now
I’ll say a soft, sweet prayer
and count them as a blessing
and one way to stay aware
that pain, for us, is critical
to keep us safe-and-sound
and make the right decisions
on this journey that we’re bound
it helps us to appreciate
the times we're feeling best
a guide for being cautious with
the boundaries that we test
yes, migraines can be horrible
and I don't find joy in pain
but how can we love sunshine
without welcoming the rain?
I've learned to see them this way
and not count them as a curse
and remember when I have one
that things could be MUCH worse
for every headache that arrives
someone ELSE is nearing death
so, I'm thankful for the pounding
and the gift of each new breath
see, life must stay in balance
without bad - there is no good
and pain just helps us value
all the sweet things, as we should
so if you are a victim of
this monster that I've known
please know that others feel your pain ...
you're NOT in the dark ... alone.
Copyright © Gregory Richard Barden | Year Posted 2018
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