Pain has taken all purpose from my life, <br />because of my being unable to help my family. <br />No one can count on me, including myself. <br />When pain came into my life, <br />it stole my self-reliance, <br />my independence <br />and now, it is destroying the very life force <br />out of me. <br />Almost unconsciously, I tried to cram the pain down and close the lid quickly, as if it were a jack in the box. <br />I came up with other tricks to cope, to hold ot off. <br />Like doing my 'dance', shifting my weight, <br />one foot to the other, to enable me to stand just a liitle longer <br />in the grocery line. <br />If, in another moment, I am going to fall, <br />squat down, pretend to look at that item on the bottom shelf. <br />Who cares if 'they' see, stare at me, <br />not I. <br />I never realized how fast I washed the dishes, <br />til my youngest grandaughter asked, 'why? ' <br />Much of the time, I feel as if I've been forced <br />to run and run and run. <br />Pain is exhausting me. <br />I'm finding I can't out-dance it, I can't out-run it. <br />Pain is gaining, you see. <br />When pain crosses the finish line, <br />the tears and screams I've not let out, <br />will no longer stay within me.<br /><br />Barbara Haskell<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/finish-line/
