Oh how I miss reading,
The ability to get lost in a book,
To be swept away by the story,
To hear the characters in my head!
I’ve been robbed of the ability to concentrate,
Absorb meaning,
Follow the story.
Eyes so tired,
Eyes that hurt with movement,
Eyes that fail to convert words into meaning.
I’ve read a page?
What did it say?
What has happened so far?
Who are these characters?
Brain that feels too big for my head,
Heaviness and exhaustion at the slightest mental task,
Where has the ability gone,
Will it ever come back?
Gone are the days of lazy reading to pass the time.
Here are the days of longing.
Frustration, exasperation, failure…
By Lori, As the RV Rolls
This poem was submitted as part of the Reflections of ME/CFS and FM and Long COVID Awareness Day Virtual Event on May 9th, 2023.
#MillionsMissing #MillionsMore #Hope4MECFS #Hope4FM #Hope4LongCOVID
