Her Pain Dance
~~~
She extends
~~~
Spine arched sharply over
Shaded green fields,
Facing her
Daily mission.
~~~
She prepares
~~~
Like a
Lyrical dancer
Shifting her limbs
Purposefully
in
Synchronized
Pandemonium;
Beginning another
Onerous quest
To reclaim her
Center.
~~~
She yearns
~~~
to
Unravel
Adhesed
Muscle fibers,
Tame
Rebellious joints,
and
Align
her
Misplaced bones.
~~~
She stretches
~~~
Fiercely
with
Resilience
of
a
Brave Tigress
Setting forth
Deliberate intent
to
Free nerves
Trapped
Helplessly on their
Path.
~~~
She exhales
~~~
Forcefully;
Hips Throbbing
Rotating her pelvis
around
The vertical axis of
her
Spine,
Drawing
Painstaking circles
in
The air;
Seeking the graceful place
Where relief
Resides.
~~~
She resists
~~~
Cruel
Demonic Forces
Contracting
Her tenacious fascia,
and
Summons
Strong willful fingers
to
Knead deeply into her own
Aching tissue.
~~~
She sobs
~~~
softly;
Wrapping
Her long thin arms
Tightly around
Self,
and
in
the
Shadow
of
Agony’s harsh
Embrace
~~~
bows
~~~
solemnly
to
stillness.
~~~
Robyn Lee
Doubt
“Doubt is not the opposite of faith; it is one element of faith.”
~ Paul Tillich
Heading back to New York City for a few days to have the mri and spinal procedure that was scheduled two weeks ago (see: Release « THROUGH THE HEALING LENS).
Anticipation and anxiety have been tormenting my soul these last few weeks. I think two weeks was too long to expect me to keep “releasing” the questions that linger and haunt. I haven’t had my spine mucked with in a few years… and over the past 19, have been poked, prodded, carved and dissected, without resolve more times than I care to remember. Why are we back to the spine again when so many experts assured me just 16 months ago the issue was my hip that needed carving? And why did that hip surgery result in worse pain and dysfunction? Seems like lots of guess-work taking place, and this all makes my head churn.
So… here I am, trying to find my optimism, but I confess…facing some pretty gloomy shadows of doubt. I am working to let go of the questions and have faith, but am having a tough time given the pain levels I’ve been living.
Nevertheless, there are some very important life-occasions coming up around here (namely my daughter’s college graduation in Boston entailing travel and exciting ceremonies, celebrations~so proud of that kid!! I really want to be there for her, and be a part of it all (for me), and thus, agreed to the upcoming medical experiments to try to get the pain levels reduced enough to allow me to join in on the good stuff ahead. Unfortunately, I have no rescue medication to turn to, as my body completely rejects narcotic pain drugs which produce severe spasm of my bile ducts (more painful than a long drawn out heart attack). Even more the reason I’m really needing this spine procedure to buy me some pain relief.
And so, I’m attempting to confront the doubts and fears, and conjure up some serious faith for my journey. Was happy to stumble on Tillich’s quote above, as it made me aware that doubt and faith may indeed be interconnected.
Hoping that this procedure will lead to a revelation of sorts, and at least get me into a mode of higher functioning so I can participate in the festivities, and perhaps even gain insight as to what structures are causing the worst of my pain. If it works well, I’m hoping I can be more aggressive with my rehab program and, of course, take on more adventurous blog photo shoots!
Thanks for everyone’s good energy blown my way on this one. I can feel it, and truly do appreciate.
Farewell for now…. sorry will be at least a few days before I can post again… but in the meantime
wishing all of you good things while I’m away!
Much Love ~ Robyn Lee
Pain Shadow II
On the deserted beach
I walk with a pain shadow.
Hip searing with each step
I move forward slowly.
My joint tears away.
A sharp arrow pierces through me.
I stop to find stillness yet the
pain shadow follows.
Gazing into the ocean,
I inhale deeply
then exhale with force
trying to release the pain.
But it won’t let go.
I must abandon this pain shadow.
This constant companion.
This unwelcome thing.
That has attached itself to me.
19 years of unrelenting pain.
Countless attempts to escape
to normal days, when the beach
meant walks and waves; picnics and laughter.
I climb the wooden stairs to look down
on the wide expanse of shoreline.
In pain I stand tall above the sprawling
desolate beach that goes on forever.
I envision myself burying the pain shadow
beneath the sandy surface,
deep in a restrictive dark hole
where it can no longer define my world.
And in that moment I am free.
THROUGH THE HEALING LENS 