A day in the Life of a Chronically Ill Black Woman
As the first rays of dawn
Crest upon the morning sky
A trickle of pain begins dribbling,
At the courtesy of severe IBS,
From my lower left abdomen.
With that,
Sudden jolts of pain right me from my sleep
And send me scrambling to the bathroom
Pleading for sweet relief
Sometimes it comes,
Other times I’m hospitalized,
But all the same
I am in pain.
This 5 o’ clock routine is followed by
An assortment of possibilities
For my mental and physical health
A 9 o’ clock rerun of the morning’s sickness
Or perhaps a 10 o’ clock report
On the little hospital television
That another Black american has been killed
If it is not my body that cripples me
It is the fact that this country can
And very well might
Kill me
And you won’t ever hear my name
Whether it be in the street
Or from institutions racist towards me.
(Image Credit: Adelaide Damoah)
About Sierra Snead