Elucidating Questions

I went out today

Today for the first time in months

I took my cane because I need it to get around now

Some guy asked

Did you injure yourself skateboarding?

Because I’m wearing converse but contrary to his thinking this wasn’t an injury this was just

How my life is

And I kind of wished for a moment that it was an injury

Wished it was something that would get better sooner or later

But, no, instead I told him

I have a chronic pain disease

And I hate that because pain and chronically being in it are just a spec of the problem

But I said it the short way because I already didn’t want to be having this conversation

He just said “I guess it would be better if it was an injury” which wasn’t wrong and then wandered off into the never to be seen again along with all the rest of the humans in my day

I wish there was a cure for this

I don’t like how people comment on my cane

It’s my youth they don’t like to see I assume

I’m still young though my body feels so much older

I wish I could have a person to hold on to

But I know that’s a lot to ask

It’s too much to ask for a cure I’m sure I just wish I could feel better than this

So people would leave me alone

I was happy puttering along just fine before this unfriendly reminder that I am living in a world they can’t even dream of

I wish they would leave me alone

I don’t have a new story to tell them