My Mind Has Dreams, My Body Has Limits

Freeform poetry reflecting the quiet daily struggle of living with ambition inside a body that resists progress

I have always held a deep affection for language. I love learning new, unusual words. I love weaving them with emotional intent. As a teenager, I used to write freeform poetry just to express in a way that felt right.

I decided to combine my craft room with my (hopeful) attempts at writing poetry again. I’m going to start in freeform and work toward the more layered, rule-based forms later.

I just want unstructured expression.

The Quiet Cost of Continuing

Walking a path of true intent,
the road is a blur.
Simply refusing to stop,
in vain,
as it might occur.

Everything appears murky,
my mind feels dull.
Words no longer flow freely,
trapped inside my skull.
My intellect has been locked away,
isolated behind a veil.

Is it in my head?
Insanity feels real.
Being partially heard,
feeling the pain of dismissal.
Trying to maintain my stature,
while my foundation shudders.

Building scaffolding,
just hoping for a new place to land.
The ground begins to shake,
never knowing where I am.

When the journey makes no sense,
I must fight to build support.
I hammer each nail into a beam
and patch the cracks as they crumble

I work to find answers,
strategies,
just hoping to continue living life.
My educational journey darkens,
my goal line pays the cost.
My brain has high ambitions,
but my physical being takes the reins,
trying to shift the course away from what remains.

My neck creaks, my back whines, my eyes scream,
and my brain simply cries.
Suddenly aware of each feeling,
suddenly fighting to find purpose beneath dark skies.
Living day-to-day is a reality,
I never hoped to face this time.
Where I stand in purpose
depends on the depth of every physical sigh.

The pain is a journey,
the feelings are intense.
Most of this time is spent alone.
No one holds my hand.

Buck up, they say.
Pull up those big girl drawers.
Adulthood doesn’t stop,
even if your body does.

After all,
it is just another day in my world.

Final Thoughts

I hope my words hit you as deeply as I felt them with each top of the key. I love the written word; it is so expressive yet real. It’s amazing what they can say to you when strategically placed.

I welcome you to comment below. What was your favorite line from the piece? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If this resonates with you or someone you know, please like and share this post with others.

Thank you all!

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