Poetry: If you could live in my body
A Poem submitted by one of our ButYouDontLookSick.com members.
If you could live in my body,
just for a day,
maybe you wouldn’t think
that I feel okay.
You might understand
what it’s like to be tired
by just trying to live,
just doing what’s required.
If you could live in my body
you might begin to see,
that a simple drug
won’t set me free.
If you could live in my skin
you’d learn to understand
that it’s not in my head,
nor was it planned.
I don’t want your pity
or to make you resent.
But I don’t need to apologize,
or have your consent.
I am sick and I’m tired
every single day,
and it won’t help to ignore it.
So listen when I say:
it helps when I relax
with a friend and some tea.
You can’t understand
but please, believe me.
Submitted by Beth Turner, © butyoudontlooksick.com
Comments (26)
I love it! I believe my mom feel the same exact way. I’m planning a lupus awareness event in May and will like to recite this poem.
Hi everyone i made an art piece of this poem!!
I don’t know you, but I wish I did. I have multiple chronic illnesses, and this poem made me cry just because you understand. I hope you have more good days than bad, and thank you.
This is so beautiful I feel like u know me these are all my feelings literally brung tears to eyes
This is the most point blank way I have ever seen the way I feel described. Wish ALL my family and friends could read this and finally”get” it!
so very true, 365 day, 24/7….tired of people thinking I’m fine when I’m not, tired of people thinking I’m faking too…:(((((
Dear Beth,
This is a wonderful poem and I was wondering if I could put it up in the poetry section of my website? MEspace is for ME/CFS sufferers because my son has had ME for the last four years, but its basically pretty much the same the way people feel and I know they would appreciate your poem enormously. Please visit the site and contribute if you would like!
Take care and keep writing!
Bella x
This is such a powerful and meaningful poem that I can relate to. It’s so difficult when you suffer in pain everyday and people do not understand it. Love to you all xxx
wow I felt every word…I was diagnosed with Lupus 9 years ago and I went through so many different stages of emotions in the beginning that I had no clue how to contain them all at once, today they still get me but im in better control of them. while I feel your emotions in your writing I can also feel the control you have gained over them something that is NOT easy to do
This fits me so much. I was diagnosed over a year ago with Fibromyalgia, and then preceded to be diagnosed with gout arthritis, restless leg syndrome, Gastritis and Gerd, Activity induced asthma, IBS, and just yesterday found out I have an inflamed liver.
LOVE THIS POEM!!! I CAN DEFINATELY RELATE….WAS DIAGNOSED WITH LUPUS 2 1/2 YRS AGO. I LOST ALOT OF FRIENDS DUE TO THIS ILLNESS. THEY JUST DON’T GET IT
I love this poem, it is so true to heart. I am directing all my family and friends do read this.
thank you for writing this
Love this poem, expresses everything perfectly.
I Love Your Poem, It was beatiful. I thank you for sharing. So many people do not understand,& turn the other cheek. God Bless you*`I have Pots & Cfs. It is so hard everyday. I will keep you in my Prayer’s. ~♥Tracy♥
Love it!!
Thank you so much for being able to express what I couldn’t.
You’ve also inspired me to write more about my pain since I do write poetry myself. I have Polycystic Kidney Disease and Epilepsy and all of this hit me at once a little over 2 years ago. (I didn’t know that it wasn’t uncommon for Epilepsy to just show up in your 20s!)
I knew about the PKD since I was a child but the symptoms didn’t get bad until right before the seizures started.
Now every day is a struggle.
But every day is also a gift.
Thank you so much again!
So very true!
Thank you for sharing your beautiful poem. It really helps to see another courageous writer expressing themselves to encourage other. Blessings to you for sharing with us!
We share the same body, dear friend. Going on 20 years with Fibromyalgia. You are not alone. I Believe You.
Eve
Loved this one .. very well put
I live this everyday, and am so thankful for someone putting it so eloquently. You wouldn’t wish it on your worst enemy, but you wish they could spend one day as you so they could get a clue!!! I have Crohns Disease and have gone from wonder woman to wondering what happened to my life. Thanks for the poem!!!
I understand so well, having MS and no one around you knows how you feel. Looking at me you would never know I was sick so it is so hard for the people around me to understand, especially my husband, kids and parents. So I suffer in silence most of the time…
its such a blessing,to hear someone,who knows what i am truly feeling & going through on a daily routine,yes we don’t look sick,but if you only knew, famous last words,huh……….
This is very good, I hate having an illness that others cannot see sometimes…..
so beatifully put.
I totally feel that…I’m a newly diagnosed MS…it’s a shock for me…lonely and frustrated is what I feel…nobody understands what i feel, not even my family