Living in shadows I scarcely stir.
Each motion brings pain with fear
of falling, breaking brittle bones
or bruising my spider web skin.
I see so little. Sunlight blinds my
rheumy eyes. Night dims my world
leaving just vague outlines.
Food is stale, bitter. Thirst savage.
No liquids quench me. My bodily
functions often fail befouling me.
All these years weigh down my soul.
Hearing faded, everything in whispers.
My breath is raspy, without strength.
My mind dull with defeat. I count only
my losses and remember nothing
but the dead. My memory is pain.
I cannot celebrate births. My great
grandchildren died so long ago.
Why must I always wait here?
God, have you forgotten me?
Joan McNerney’s poetry has been included in numerous literary magazines such as Seven Circle Press, Dinner with the Muse, Blueline, Spectrum, three Bright Spring Press Anthologies and several Kind of A Hurricane Publications. She has been nominated three times for Best of the Net. Poet and Geek recognized her work as their best poem of 2013. Four of her books have been published by fine small literary presses and she has three e-book titles.
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