Growling ache,
Awakes slow but sure,
She fidgets, restless,
Walks the floor.
The cold moon eyes her,
No sympathy.
Crisp wind cools,
But doesn’t quench,
The thirst she feels for thee.
Her body sweats,
Her clammy skin crawls,
Her mind dances madly,
She exists in thrall.
She flings her head back,
And screams at the sky,
She can cave in and drown,
Or suffer unslaked,
Unable to die.
One cannot show will,
At the start of the race.
The test of the soul,
Is the weakness you face.
When she falters in night,
And would grab any straw,
She grows only in power,
When her need is so raw.
I am weak,
I feel slow,
Shame overwhelms me,
But still, I say “no.”
Paula Lyons, MD
4/6/2002
2 Responses
“Oh, the angst of unremitting pain, despair and suffering! When I have been asked, in my capacity as a physician, to be the healer for so many souls I tended to, cared for, and still care about, reading your poem, Paula, brought these words to mind:
“I cannot step into someone’s shoes, but I can walk with a suffering person, and help ease the burden, be a good listener, as well as a shoulder to lean on, but I do not presume to know their true burden.” Adapted from George Gubernikoff, MD
But on a lighter note, here’s a memory triggered by your poem:
“You’ll Never Walk Alone” is a show tune from the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.
in some areas of the UK and Europe, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” became the anthem of support for medical staff, first responders, and those in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are the lyrics:
When you walk through a storm
Hold your head up high
And don’t be afraid of the dark
At the end of a storm
There’s a golden sky
And the sweet silver song of a lark
Walk on through the wind
Walk on through the rain
Though your dreams be tossed and blown
Walk on, walk on
With hope in your heart
And you’ll never walk alone.
OK, every one: You Tube The song title , and be as solaced and rewarded as I.
Luv,
Uncle Marvin
Very moving Paula. And, “Uncle Marvin” – I You Tubed the song and listened to several versions – I was rewarded.