Poem: Chronic Pain

This poem is dedicated to all those who suffer with chronic pain.

It’s not a scream, but more a hum—
A whisper sharp, a steady drum,
A thread that winds through bone and vein,
The silent song of chronic pain.

It doesn’t shout—it settles in,
A guest beneath your tender skin,
A shadow cast by days gone by,
That lingers still, and won’t say why.

It’s waking up already tired,
As if your limbs have all conspired
To hold you back from every goal,
Each movement taxed, each step a toll.

It’s feeling old when you are young,
A war inside that’s never won.
A storm that circles without rain,
A flare that lights, then fades again.

It’s smiles worn thin with practiced grace,
While deep inside, you guard the place
Where hurt resides, unseen, unheard,
Too complex for a single word.

It teaches patience, slow and cruel,
It makes the strongest feel the fool,
It whispers lies: “You are your ache,”
Until your spirit starts to break.

But still, you rise—you always do,
Though pain has claimed a part of you.
You walk the world with unseen scars,
A quiet hero, forged in stars.

So if they ask, “What is it like?”
Tell them: it’s learning how to hike
A mountain no one else can see—
But doing it, relentlessly.

Thank-you for reading.

Much Love and Light,

Brenda Marie