Living with Chronic pain - a poem on fibromyalgia

Pain is invisible and often neglected both by the person suffering and the person treating.

This is a small description of living with an invisible illness, Fibromyalgia. 

In the land of constant pain, hidden from view,
All over me, it spread, but no one knew.
Each morning, muscles screamed in silent cry,
But to others, my pain was just a lie.

"Forget it," they'd say, "Don't be weak at all."
Their disbelief stung like an endless squall.
I doubted myself, tried hard to make it depart,
But alas, the pain stayed, tearing at my heart.

Now I've learned pain's a companion, it seems,
I nod at its visits, not lost in my dreams.
Sometimes, it drops by, a familiar old friend,
I nod in response, though it may never end.

With a smile, they assume the pain's all gone away,
But hidden beneath, it's there every single day.
Behind my smile, I remain the same as can be,
Living with pain but still being me.

About the author: 

Parul Raina is a writer, anesthetist and  a budding pain and palliative physician. She has been  living with fibromyalgia since past 10 years. Being a doctor and living with chronic pain, she realised the lack of awareness and stigma around chronic pain and mental health even in the medical field. She wants to open up about her struggles in order to advocate for the awareness of chronic pain.

Edited by Christianez Ratna Kiruba.

Image by Janvi Bokoliya.