A Poem about Stroke

Everything change in one moment.

Everything was different in one moment...

Mind, body and soul.

I accepted that moment by moment 

Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly.

Stroke says "I'm still here."

Stroke came up on me and grabbed me.

Stroke crippled me.

Stroke condemned me.

Stroke changed me.

Stroke confined me.

Stroke chose me.

Stroke called me.

Stroke choked me.

Stroke sentenced me.

Why me?

Everyday is a fight for normalcy.

A battle for being like other...

But what are others?

What is normalcy?

You cannot see the work of my daily medication.

You cannot see the rigors of my physical nor occupational therapy.

You cannot see my cane, my dizziness, my pain, my anguish and my dark place.

I carry all of those things inside of me.

My body deceives me.

My mind deceives me.

I know frustration.

I know confusion.

I know anger.

I know sadness.

I know pity.

I know difficulty.

I know misunderstanding.

I know pain.

I needed support but I didn't ask for support.

I needed assistance but I didn't ask for assistance.

I needed a hand but I didn't ask for a hand.