Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Morpheus, god of her dreams
















A million thin, slimy worms, 
sharp bladed centipedes
cut, drill themselves
into microscopic crevices
in her spine
creating amplified explosions
of mammoth tormenting
shrills, shivering her soul.

Morpheus responds to her prayers.
Magnificent Super-hero,
dreamy entrancing deity
whose invisible placid weapons
put excruciating monsters to sleep
while cloaking her with soothing fumes
converting nightmare to reverie
via its monotonous, steady

drip
       d r I p
                   d  rr  ii  ppp


Thoughts glow bright, then dim,
intermittent flashes of light
interchange conformity and rage
at those who say they want to fly
while she must be content
to crawl like spastic robotic
metallic contraption on wheels,
or shuffle on fake limbs of steal.

She welcomes the god’s embrace,
warm, reassuring reminder
that move she has and will.
He paints her dreams of walking
as he slowly replaces agony,
with realigning bliss.

(Submitted to Dverse Poets.  Happy Anniversary to them!!!)

(This poem was inspired by Jaime, who was born with Cerebral Palsy, expected to never walk but did, until recently.  A few weeks ago she underwent a serious two day (about 10 hours each time) surgery to correct something in her spine that was causing excruciating pain.  The surgery itself was shear torment but Jaime's love for life and movement (in every sense) led her to gladly accept the surgery.  Therapy and recovery will take months.  Jaime is certain she'll walk again.  

Though some resist the use of drugs of any kind, she is grateful for the relief that medically administered morphine provided.  She's been successfully weaned off of it.)

14 comments:

  1. i imagine it sweet relief from constant pain...i understand the desire not to feel drugged but i think there are certain times medication is surely needed to give any kind of quality of life and even help control certain behavior...

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  2. oh my....the read gave me shivers myrna..the sharp bladed centipedes drilling themselves in her spine...heck what vivid descriptions...and then the warmth and hope in the end....really hope she'll soon will be able to walk again

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  3. I am happy for her progress and applaud her courage ~ If it helps her, then why not as some people like myself have low tolerance for pain ~ Hope all goes well with her ~

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  4. I feel for Jaime, Myrna. I can't imagine having to go through so much pain. But I admire her passion for life. And I do wish she'll be able to walk again.

    Perfect words in your poem. Perfect imagery. <3 :-)

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  5. deep and tangled as Medusa's hair!


    With warm Aloha, from Honolulu
    Comfort Spiral
    <(-'.'-)>

    > < } } ( ° >

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  6. I could just imagine the pain and I hope to god that I do not have to go through that kind of agony. Very vivid Myrna!

    http://rimlybezbaruah.blogspot.in/2012/07/snapshots.html

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  7. Wonderfully vivid, really well written.

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  8. you write on some difficult themes with so much ease!

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  9. Very powerful. And a good reminder to me to count my blessings and not complain about minor things! Well, not complain about anything!

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  10. Wow--You give us a poem and then a story, both powerful separately and together. The poem is all I can speak to, as in and around it, you have said all the rest, admiration and all--

    Morpheus as demi god who changes form as he is held, as character in The Matrix looking for "the one," as trickster in the new films/comics with the gods on earth--all of these work in this poem where he soothes her pain, "converting nightmare to reverie" through the drip. The superhero who sees her re-align and gives her visions of dancing is the morphine itself. She will only need this god for a while.

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  11. My sweet friend,
    All I can say is you are very talented using words. Very well done!

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  12. What a beautiful tribute to someone who fought and never gave up. As with everything else, moderation is the key.Drugs after all changed the world for the better, just think about penicillin and how many lives it has saved - and all because Fleming noticed a forgotten agar plate.;)
    xoxo

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  13. What an inspiring poem and story this is, Myrna! I do think there is a time and place for such drugs.

    Yes, nice to meet you through the story on Poets United and now also here in your blog with the anniversary poem for dVerse!

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  14. Wishing Jaime a speedy recovery and wishing her well. You wrote a lovely tribute .

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