I finally spoke her name


did the unthinkable

on this day of days

parted company with

traditional ways


it's not what I did

it's what I didn't do

insignificant 

it may seem to you 


for once didn't go

I stayed home in bed

first time in decades I

heard my pain instead


I let my hurt speak 

I gave her a voice 

usually I shush her

allow her no choice


and I power on

mutely holding all

load-bearing lady 

always takes the fall


this sounds selfish, or

maybe just I hear

old haranguing voices

clanging in my ear


stop showing off, you

just want sympathy

you're too sensitive 

in your pity party 


pain was inconvenient

needs were always blamed

tired was verboten

sick was ignored or shamed


And so I shut down

I sucked up my pain

like a vacuum or 

a spiraling drain 


of course it spiraled

screwed itself down tight 

frozen in my core 

clamped like jaw bite 


hand over a mouth

to silence a scream 

but she was too loud 

especially in dream 


"She" is a fairy 

pain she helps me see

she's much more friend than

they ever were to me


she starts and ends day 

and punctuates night

though I keep her at bay

still she shines her light


no matter how tight 

I put on her lid 

my bottled genie 

refuses to stay hid 


she interrupts my sleep 

sounds back alarm bell 

if I don't heed she makes

other parts hurt as well


I should thank her for

waking me in pain

so I stop heeding 

shaming in my brain


it's them I should ignore

voices in my my head

they get louder too

when I go to bed


not that I'm expected

to hurt silent be

by the folks I love

who also love me

 

they aren't the problem

the shame lives in me

in harm from people 

I once called  family 


so today I did

something differently 

gagged the voices to  

hear the wise fairy 


how did it feel to 

finally speak her name

I don't know yet 

some is still the same


it'll take time and work

to gag shame for good 

we'll do it together

in our safe fairy wood 




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