Your MS Is Not My MS (Poem)

Your MS Is Not My MS (Poem)

Your MS is not My MS,
Though we share a common thread.
Your MS is not My MS,
But we’ve both had tears we shed.

You have trouble in the morning,
The sunrise is not your friend.
For me, morning is my best time,
I struggle when the day ends.

Most days I can walk,
With very little trouble.
But you need a chair with wheels,
To get you there on the double.

My hands shake & my words slur,
Sometimes I even stutter.
Your grip is strong & your voice is clear,
But your legs feel like butter.

I need a nap, I get so tired,
Almost every afternoon.
You fight insomnia every night,
You always see the moon.

Friends & family come to visit,
With pity in their eyes.
You WANT to hear the words we dread,
That so many MSers despise.

“But you look so good!” they say,
While inside my body struggles.
My symptoms aren’t on display,
MS controls all that I juggle.

Like the tide of an ocean ,
My MS ebbs & flows.
It hides inside and then shows off,
My MS comes & goes.

Your MS progresses more,
With every passing year.
You long for words of “looking good”,
To help calm your secret fears.

It all seems so scary,
Not knowing what to expect.
To plan a future, even a day,
Without feeling you owe a debt.

Yes, Your MS is not My MS,
Even with the symptoms we share.
My MS is not Your MS,
But we still say the same prayers.

If everyone around us could see,
We aren’t all the same.
You may be better, I may be worse,
But we all feel the same pain

Together we can teach the world,
To remember not to compare,
Sally to Jenny or John to Tom
We can help them be more aware.

We look for the hope behind your stares,
But our MS Story is our own.
We want to share our own version,
Then we won’t feel all alone.

Tammy Malkowski (March 7, 2012)