Poetry About Chronic Illness

The calendar is written lightly now. Pain changes the route without warning. A cheerful face tells only part of the day. Rest is work the body cannot postpone. Adaptation is neither failure nor surrender. A life can narrow in hours and remain whole.

Nothing here is only what it seems. Pain changes the route without warning. A quieter history moves underneath. Rest is work the body cannot postpone. The patient eye discovers another current. A life can narrow in hours and remain whole.

The calendar is written lightly now. Time moves, but the image does not leave. A cheerful face tells only part of the day. It returns us to ongoing illness, changing energy, invisible symptoms, treatment, adaptation, grief, and a life larger than diagnosis. Adaptation is neither failure nor surrender. The day continues with a more attentive heart.