deepundergroundpoetry.com
Unreality
As daylight beckons,
Physical challenges arise.
Pain, injuries, fatigue;
Clumsiness and fumbling fingers struggling to function.
Perhaps you won’t notice.
The mental game is tough too:
An attitude of kindness to body and trueness to self
Vies for prominence with
Strength and independence.
At fleeting glance, all is well.
Even close inspection can’t detect
Groaning effort required of body and mind
to be Normal.
Appearances deceive but
Expectations and dreams mislead more.
Anything is possible by myself
But at what cost?
Wisdom and interest
Might open the floodgates.
The risk is vulnerability;
The fortress is pride.
Therefore, one question remains
Unspoken, even to myself:
To remain strong, determined, stubborn
and betray the body?
Or to admit the truth and risk
Pity, embarrassment, advice and
Genuine concern?
The masquerade triumphs until an
Application of your perseverance and true knowledge
Provokes a confession of humanity, shattering
The ephemeral illusion.
Physical challenges arise.
Pain, injuries, fatigue;
Clumsiness and fumbling fingers struggling to function.
Perhaps you won’t notice.
The mental game is tough too:
An attitude of kindness to body and trueness to self
Vies for prominence with
Strength and independence.
At fleeting glance, all is well.
Even close inspection can’t detect
Groaning effort required of body and mind
to be Normal.
Appearances deceive but
Expectations and dreams mislead more.
Anything is possible by myself
But at what cost?
Wisdom and interest
Might open the floodgates.
The risk is vulnerability;
The fortress is pride.
Therefore, one question remains
Unspoken, even to myself:
To remain strong, determined, stubborn
and betray the body?
Or to admit the truth and risk
Pity, embarrassment, advice and
Genuine concern?
The masquerade triumphs until an
Application of your perseverance and true knowledge
Provokes a confession of humanity, shattering
The ephemeral illusion.
Published 27th Aug 2021
Author's Note
Written in my 20s
All writing remains the property of the author. Don't use it for any purpose without their permission.
likes 1
reading list entries 1
comments 4
reads 349
Commenting Preference:
The author encourages honest critique.
28th Aug 2021 00:33am
Wow. This is a powerfully honest work of art. While I cannot relate to the specific experience of the narrator, you evoked a lot of intrigue and emotion…curiosity, wonder, empathy. Really nice piece!
28th Aug 2021 00:35am
I fit uncomfortably between the able-bodied and disabled worlds. I can work and can't claim disability, but walking is a bit of a project these days. I'm a bit unsure of my identity at times. I look perfectly normal, so people don't always realise.
Anonymous
28th Aug 2021 00:37am
Great topic, implications extend beyond the personal & immediate;
Great how the physical melts into the mental, as it happens for most people;
Nice insight about how the conflicting forces of pride & vulnerability are connected to broader issues.
Interesting stuff here. Socio-political implications.
The grip-strength of the average male is 17x the grip-strength of the average female.
Women lack the strength to manipulate the physical world.
Do women need men?
I was reading that and wondering, "who's being described? is this the speaker? is it describing someone else, subjectively?"
At first I wasn't sure the relation between the speaker and the sensations described, then in the 2nd it becomes clear.
Enjoyed!
Great how the physical melts into the mental, as it happens for most people;
Nice insight about how the conflicting forces of pride & vulnerability are connected to broader issues.
Interesting stuff here. Socio-political implications.
The grip-strength of the average male is 17x the grip-strength of the average female.
Women lack the strength to manipulate the physical world.
Do women need men?
I was reading that and wondering, "who's being described? is this the speaker? is it describing someone else, subjectively?"
At first I wasn't sure the relation between the speaker and the sensations described, then in the 2nd it becomes clear.
Enjoyed!
Insightful and helpful as ever. Thank you! I probably wrote this 15 years ago, about my experience with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. There are good days, OK days and bad days. I look very able bodied and lead a normal life, but it's a struggle. Heading into middle age, I can't walk far, lift or move anything heavy, or write much by hand. I'm pleased that there are more universal applications for my work. It's one of the things I aim for.
