The Broken Life (Poem)

The time we often use to express pain—
Some use it for their joy. But not me.

Not happy, thankful, but unsatisfied—
My heart rejected what was happening
Before it could even settle.

No word, no poem, or any tool used to express
Could truly capture an understanding of my situation.

I lost my two front teeth, which, at the time,
Were noticeably one of my best features.

What were once square teeth now resemble the letter W.

I was repeatedly asked to emphasize the feeling endured
When I came into contact with the brick wall.

I said: Imagine being stung by a taser,
Losing all four of your senses in just a few seconds,
Then everything comes back to normal—except one thing.

But I knew, from that very moment,
The fun interactions held between my brother and me
Would be no more.

We see siblings as the firefighter to our fire—
When we’re home alone and no one is around,
When life comes crashing down so fast—
But your sibling is there.

That is a great feeling.

But in the moment when
What happened to me happens to you—
All of the happy memories and so forth
Get placed behind you without a second thought.

You wake up and look in the mirror,
But your smile isn’t the same.
Your life has just changed,
And you are grieving with pain.