Foreign Inhabitants
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…she runs her jagged fingernails down the length of the bare white wall,
Leaving a trail of chipped paint behind….
Carefully, she tries to stifle the scream
that attempts to escape her dry parched lips.
A tear dances down her damp rosy cheek,
As once again, her tired mind attempts a superwoman pep talk,
Gathering strength through gritted teeth…
Mobile parts have become rusted and creaky,
Her legs and feet, held down by invisible concrete,
And her arms, dangle painfully as if an
Unseen force is playing tug-of-war…
…feeling like an addict,
a few hours of relief and a bit of hope
is found in potions of creams, lotions and oils…
…She returns for conversation to these bottles
For an attempted miracle light multiple times
throughout the day while they
Bring her back to life for just a bit…
In such a short time, her body has rebelled
And began an unexpected war…
An unforeseen lifetime battle
Trying to drag her down to her now pained knees…
…Quick jolts of pain play peek- a-boo,
And lazy aches take thoughtful strolls
Throughout the mass body transit of muscles, bones and joints…
They’ve all become foreign inhabitants…
Meanwhile, she puts on her appropriate smile,
And brightens her dark eyes,
Hiding the shadow of the atrocious war,
battling inside…
For if she would scream out with
The pain that blazed within her shaky core,
It would deafen the world….
-Ariana R Cherry 2018
Ariana R. Cherry: Poet & Artist 