Immortalized within counterfeit fibers of a petrified forest are your sorrows weighed with silt, swallowed by shadows of its own valley, silenced beneath the porcelain surface of a visage pristine.
Banish them. Let your tears cathartic burn these cheeks of mine. Scour them with scars of an ancient past of an ache relived. Let me bear the dusk until from the womb, emerged pure as the morning dew, is a love renewed.
As letters meandering the page sketched the contours of a portrait, I looked forward to meeting you.
As I enter the room, I sense a fragrance of time past, of struggles endured years before– silent whispers of a mind’s unrest reflected through misted eyes.
As we talk, of a soul’s facade you steadily disrobe. Words of suffering and pain, joy and pride- each syllable a silvered twine weaving your life’s story.
I examine you. Your heart- that fulcrum deeply hinged. A bittersweet thrum of a battery strong but worn. Your lungs- that which sing their own melodious song, a lulling carol invigorated with each exhale.
From there a journey it becomes to strengthen you, to make you whole. A disease conquered, a valley bridged. A hollow filled, a life restored.
We work together. As ripples in a wake, your life affects mine, for the same heart that aches when you suffer rejoices with you in your victories.
Because this is what I treasure– the chance to care for you, to walk with you.
You already knew. Gaze unflinching, you told us to say the words.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis A. L. S.
Despite sparse questions, your eyes revealed an understanding far deeper than our answers- that with one moment, robbed were you of the years ahead, of memories awaiting, of stories belonging to you. Now lost.
Strength dissolving, your conviction remains unscathed. You savor each passing sunrise. Each caress, each step. For you know. As your legs cease to support, arms stop to comply, you still feel your child’s touch. Absorbing her love. Pretending you don’t care the roles have been reversed as you yearn to return her embrace.
As its hunger ascends, You treasure the remaining days. Every word, every smile. For you know. Soon it consumes your voice, drains your visage, until all that is left is the silence of a vacant mask. Unable to reflect your thought’s grin, your heart’s laugh, your soul tears as you blink away the moisture.
As your breaths increasingly betray you, you are not defeated, for the flames of your bruised spirit are not quenched, and you give thanks for the time you had, even as your body dims and you fade away.
One may have noticed something peculiar about Puppydoc’s posts this past week…in that they contained videos of her.
It is true: Puppydoc has decided to start showing her puppy face to those in her world who would want to see it.
As for Samantha, she has yet to hop on board (she feels she needs to lose some fluff before she is presentable for the camera), but I’m trying to convince her that she is beautiful no matter the degree of rotundity.
So if the idea of watching Puppydoc entices you, come on overfor a visit!
With that said, I hope you enjoyed the photo of the meditating lemur.
Founded in 2013 by Phoebe Chi, MD, PhoebeMD: Medicine + Poetry is a health information and literary arts website that aims to inspire, empower, and inform through a curated mix of essential health information, uplifting personal stories, and original poetry.