I have made peace with pain

(From Pexel)

Pain visited me occasionally
like a migratory bird;
it was seasonal.
I never liked her visits but
she threw joy in sharp relief.

Then her visits became more frequent
she liked to perch on my soul
trilling her melancholy song
the deep ache in my heart burgeoned taking roots there.

These days pain and I are inseparable
she lurks behind my smiles
she tinges my happiness with grey
she stays awake with me on moonless nights.

I have learnt to savour
each single sliver of happiness more
no longer immersing myself
completely in exultation
I live on the periphery of jubilation
with pain shining a light on
little pleasures to be lived to the fullest.

Written for dVerse. Today’s host Ingrid says: What I would like you to do for this challenge is a kind of therapeutic exercise. I do NOT want you to open any old wounds which are too painful to approach, or torment yourself by reliving painful moments. Let’s always keep in mind Wordsworth’s definition of poetry as ’emotion recollected in tranquillity.’ If you are able to, I want you to revisit a time in your life when you have felt pain (emotional or physical, acute or chronic) and come out on the other side stronger. As hard as it is to go through, we learn from our pain and grow as a result of it. So let’s examine the personal and artistic growth which can be achieved by finding the silver lining behind the cloud of suffering.