POETRY | FLINT AND STEEL

Stress, My Old Nemesis

A poetic response to Spark №11-Finding Comfort in November

I feel you again creeping up my spine settling between shoulder blades rocking my stomach to and fro, to and fro like a nightmare You’ve found fuel from the troubles of my life lately and even meditation won’t chase you back down And we both know who’s really chasing whom and you won’t stop until you’ve broken me left me heaped upon the floor But this time it’s different I’m not that fragile doll now my spine no longer bends to your will and with squared shoulders I will resist you Now how does that feel?

©2021 Lori Carlson. All Rights Reserved.

Everything seems to be converging upon me at once lately. I’m dealing with a lot of health issues and will likely have some major surgeries coming up soon. My spouse is dealing with her/his own mental health and I am trying to be supportive. We’ve had car issues. We’ve had to dip into our savings because my spouse has been on sick leave for over two weeks now. And it feels like I could break at any moment. I usually sleep a lot when I am too stressed, but I haven’t even been able to do that for the last five days. I just keep telling myself that this is not permanent and I can tolerate anything that is temporary. This too shall pass.

I want to thank Ellie Jacobson for the great spark this week

Lori Carlson writes Poetry, Fiction, Articles, Creative Non-Fiction, and Personal Essays. Most of her topics are centered around Relationships, Spirituality, Life Lessons, Mental Health, Nature, Loss, Death, and the LGBTQ+ community. She is the Owner/Editor of Promptly Written and Not For Bedtime Stories. Check out her personal Medium blog here.