Life Always Amazes Me
Life always amazes me and each day I look for magic…… sometimes it comes easily, sometimes the magic brings with it painful memories, but it’s magic nonetheless. I felt the need to begin to clean out old boxes in my closet and came upon some poems I had no idea I even wrote, and the one I share today I don’t even know when I wrote it. Along with the poem I found the old pictures of me, The ones I used to hide from people so they couldn’t comment on how sad it must have been to be crippled as a child. I didn’t need that painful reminder, the memories of being teased and taunted, ridiculed and made fun of…..For a brief moment those painful memories returned and then I chose to replace them with this phrase, “ but you also got strength from it .” With my braces I learned to walk without crutches, they were put away and I refused to use them. I was told I needed the crutches to walk yet I proved them wrong! I also held my own in dealing with those who were mean to me. I learned it from my Mama, I saw her lash out at those who made fun of her precious little child (thank you Mama!) But that’s what Moms do. It was only a year or so of having to wear them but I was unable to put my legs together the entire time and I tell ya, that was not an easy thing for a child to have to deal with, let alone a Mother who was also pregnant and having to help care for me. But she did it from Love and I felt it. By sharing this, I am reminded that although it was a traumatic time for me, it gave me strengths that helped me along on my journey and helped me to become the caring person that I today. The day I was freed from those legs of steel was a day of absolute bliss and freedom.. I ran and ran until I ran out of steam and my siblings and neighbor kids also ran with me!
Legs of Steel
I once knew a girl so full of life
And then by chance it was filled with strife
Her once active legs were divided by steel
This is not what you’d call a happy ordeal
Her mother so lovely, her family so dear
Couldn’t help to shed her many tears
She was known as a freak, not like others at all
And because of her shame couldn’t walk very tall
Then after what seemed an eternity
She shed her steel and was finally free
Her family so happy, this girl full of gleam
Began to run and to laugh and to scream
At the joy of her freedom from this bar of steel
Her life had been freed from this sordid ordeal
Her life was then changed from sad to gleeful
She no longer shied away from other people
Though now she is grown and her legs are well healed
She’ll never forget that sordid ordeal
This girl I once knew is now happy and free
And I ought to know
FOR THAT GIRL IS ME!!!