Though I'm sure I'll bring this up again in the future, to make a long story short, I struggled with persistent pain in my left hip for over two years.
The experience of living with that pain -- pain that was dull, but constant; pain that threatened my identity; pain that made me fear normal activities of daily life -- is hard to put into words.
Pain is a complex phenomenon, and words aren't always an adequate way of communicating the experience of pain. I think the creative process often does a better job, and can be incredibly therapeutic, and even cathartic.
I wrote this poem in 2018 as a submission for the University of Alberta's Mental Health Zine. It hits on the feelings of powerlessness that often go along with persistent pain and serves as a reminder that chronic pain is real, invasive, and can be debilitating.
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