RA has been a part of my life for the last 6 years. It has been a journey filled with uncertainty and chaos, a constant struggle to maintain hope for the future and the ability to find peace and joy in life as it presents itself each day. I wrote this poem as a metaphor of my own personal journey with this disease. The pounding drum is a constant reminder of RA's presence in my life, bringing fear and anxiety, but also a deeper understanding of who I am. I hope you find some meaning for yourself in these words. I'm also learning to write music and have discovered a new passion. The link below is to an mp3 file with some of my music and a spoken version of the poem.
The Drum
By
The drum beat slowly, a pulsating sound,
Roving waves of intensity that bound
The shadowy fragments of a spiritual quest
To a sanctuary that promised rest.
Primitive rhythms, channeling insights,
A kaleidoscope of fractured lights,
Beckoning to a contemplative existence
That heals the scars of fear’s resistance.
The soothing flow of pounding beats
Encounter possibility of heroic feats.
Emboldened consciousness empowers
A journey to heights of lofty towers.
Vibrations burrow through dirt and rock
Expelling words that laugh and mock,
Yet speak of calming solitude,
A jarring clash both soft and crude.
The thundering drum swells to crescendo,
Reverberations create a haunting memento
Of memories ensnared by life’s magic dance,
Beguiling minds with a shadowed glance.
Echoed beats grow soft and still,
For pain and suffering a touch to heal
The weary burden of life’s remorse,
Following the river’s meandering course.
The drum stops, no pounding rhythm to break the calm
Of whispered prayers captured in harmonic Psalm.
God shouts his approval of perseverance
Hidden by a fractured shell of endurance.
My heart was pounding, battering my search for sleep,
A rolling thunder of turmoil flowing from deep
Wells of fear and dark despair
That nurtured the beast in his hidden lair.
The rhythm slows, inviting peace;
My heart follows, fear drenched emotions cease
To fill my mind with electricity
That sparks chaotic multiplicity.
And so at last my soul finds rest,
In solitude I passed the test,
Administered by sovereign destiny,
God heard my cry and calmed the sea.