Creative Corner
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A New Lease on Life
by Antinea Carpenter
Read Antinea's poem A New Lease on Life (PDF)
Added September 8, 2010
Ode to Lupus
by Heather Joy Ali
Read Heather's poem Ode to Lupus (PDF)
Added September 8, 2010
A LETTER TO MYSELF
by Kim Tarman
Read Kim's piece - A Letter to Myself (PDF)
Added September 8, 2010
Oh Lupus
by James Allcorn
Read James' poem Oh Lupus (PDF)
Added September 8, 2010
Why Do I Walk
by Kimberly Lehanka
Read Kimberly's poem Why Do I Walk (PDF)
Added September 8, 2010
If Not For You
by Kathy Boling
If not for you I could feel the sun upon my face...and play with my Grandchildren along the way. I could swim in the ocean and feel the warmth of the water as it washed over me. If not for you I could walk along the white sand with my husband and feel it between my toes as when I was a child...if not for you. If not for you my life would be free from pain ... if not for you...my hair would still be long and flowing like sun spun gold… if not for you...
Added August 27, 2010
Just Another Day
By Linda Hyman
Read Linda Hyman's poem, Just Another Day (PDF)
Added May 17, 2010
Be Inspired
by Valerie Ardrey
Read Valerie's piece, Be Inspired (PDF).
Added 1-21-10
You are no friend (to Lupus)
by Nicole Hester-Francis
You distort the being that was once within me
Coming in and out of my days
Draining,
Staining,
Forever released of you, I wish to be
How demented your fury
Evermore cursing my life with this agony
Torturing,
Suffering,
This makes all that remains dreary
Attacks of the greatest strategy
You deploy within
Twisting,
Bending,
This life into such a tragedy
Conformity to which my heart shall never agree
Ravages my soul until it bleeds
Battling,
Challenging,
My foe, I wish to be free
Added 1-11-10
Corset
by Nicole Hester-Francis
Manipulation, to conceal and redesign the body
Associated With style and grace
A few for a fixation of pleasure -- equivalent to that of pain
To me ... there is no relation
Merely borrowed illusions
Of early centuries’ beauty
For eleven years you have reformed my mortal flesh -- wounded into submission
This Constriction divulges no shame; I hold no ill blame In for this paralyzing pain
For what has this heart
housed around flesh to gain?
Can I please seek your permission for a justly remission?
Driven into obscurity
Mirror image non existent -- to the girl I once knew
Tresses so dear to me
Bundled in brush clumps
Days lost in
Toxic concoctions
Slimming dimensions
Don’t wanna live on expert guesses
Don’t wanna let go
Appetite in a porcelain POOL of lumps
I retort, subduing the pressure
Memory equals lesser
Compressed misery I know to be wrong
So I dry these eyes, loosen the strings
Made for this special corset
Attitude emerging strong and bold
Harassed by perfection
I stay in self-reflection
So you cannot constrict a need
For life, so keen, for too long
Added 1-11-10
The Psychological Effects of Lupus
by Anne Mayer
Read Anne's piece, The Psychological Effects of Lupus (PDF).
Added 12-22-09
Lupus SLE: A Poem
by Linda Ray Hyman
Read Linda's poem, Lupus SLE (PDF).
Added 12-11-09
Lupus: Conquer the Fear
by Rocky Lewis
Read Rocky's story, Lupus: Conquer the Fear (PDF).
Added 11-19-09
Lupus – The Wolf
by Jenna Sievers
He has stalked me in silence
For a long time I did not feel his presence
Then, I sensed him
I was confused by his tricks
He was good
My heart jumped at mention of his name
What does he mean to me
Why are we connected
Your bite marks gave you away
I’ve always admired your kind
No more
You are such a bad boy
I wished you no harm
Now I bear your marks
Faded, true, but never gone
I have you in my blood forever
Go lie down bad boy
I am the leader of this pack
Added 11-19-09
Butterfly Kisses: A poem about Lupus
by Stephanie Mahoney
I was kissed by a butterfly
I often wonder why oh why
I don’t know when and I don’t know how
But I know I have the knowledge now
The knowledge to know I’m not alone
To know this kiss which I must own
This kiss can hurt or stay at bay
I never know when I can play
Fly away sweet butterfly
I have things I’d like to try
I want to flutter and be free
Like this butterfly which I see
Across my face it leaves its mark
Reminding me to seek shade at the park
On my head it leaves me bare
Wishing I could have my hair
Curled up so tight and fast asleep
I wonder when I won’t be so weak
Aches and pains that persist
Won’t you please just resist
Let me go sweet butterfly
I have things I’d like to try
I often wonder when I can say
This butterfly is gone, gone far away
Added 11-19-09
Never Knowing
by Michelle M. Gramoll
You never know the symptoms;
You don't recognize the signs.
So many questions without answers;
Doctors trying to read between the lines.
The feelings inside are unbearable;
Never knowing what's going on for sure.
Always trying new medications;
Hoping that someday they'll find a cure.
My head is always pounding;
All my joints ever do is ache.
Not being able to do with my son what I want to;
It just makes my heart want to break.
I'm always running to see a doctor;
Traveling in and out of the ER.
Just hoping that one day I can be healthy;
But that dream always seems so far.
One day I never want to worry;
About my body or what's going on inside.
I place a smile on my face;
Screaming for help on the inside.
But nobody can ever truly help me;
Because nobody can detect what is wrong.
So until they can find a cure for Lupus;
The only thing I can do is try to stay strong!!!
Added 9-10-09
A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way Back Home
by Sabrina Nixon
Read Sabrina's story, A Funny Thing Happened To Me On The Way Back Home (PDF).
Added 9-8-09
The Winds of Pain
by Anne Mayer
Read Anne's story, The Winds of Pain (PDF).
Added 8-31-09
Attack of the Wolf
by Aishia Akbar
I am not a warrior, but I am under attack.
When I awake
I must be prepared to battle.
Every day I fight an enemy
Devouring me from within.
Silently I pray
For courage, for strength, for a warrior’s spirit
And then once again
Join my sisters-n-arms on the battleground.
My enemy hides and waits
For a moment of weakness, a moment of doubt, a moment of fear,
Then launches a full brutal attack.
But I am armed with a warrior’s rage
I will not be broken
I know the name of my enemy and its history.
While waiting for a treatment, a cure
Or for some, even the name of the mysterious inner-killer.
Many of my sisters-n-arms have perished on the battlefield.
I will never retreat
Never surrender
Never forget my fallen sisters
Who stood one last time
On the front line
And faced the wolf with courage and grace.
Added 8-21-09
Butterfly
by Mildretta C. Williams
Written in memory of Terrie Ann Bell who succumbed to lupus December 19, 2002
If I could spread my wings and fly,
If I could reach and touch the sky,
Looks towards the sky above and see
It’s my guardian angel from on high –
Butterfly.
Butterfly, butterfly,
I’ve got to spread my wings to the sky
Butterfly, butterfly,
I’ll see you again in the sky.
Butterfly, butterfly,
I sure do miss you, Butterfly.
Added 7-7-09
Better Inside and Out
by Erika Schoonover
When the doctor first told me I had lupus,
I should have been scared,
I should have asked a thousand questions,
But instead I was just fine.
I knew in my heart that I was gonna be ok,
It didn't have all of me yet,
Lupus will try and control me,
I'll fight back every time.
I won't quit because I have it,
I want to be strong,
Inside and out,
With a light always burning bright.
I want you to see me for me,
And not me for my lupus,
But if that's all you can see me for,
At least let it bring you hope.
See, you can be ok with lupus,
You can live and breathe like everyone else,
Taking one moment at a time,
Never a moment for granted though.
With every day that crosses my path,
With every pill I have to swallow,
And with my feeling of unending hope,
I'm getting better.
Added 5-7-09
Support and Awareness
by Sharon Kodnik
Read Sharon's story, Support and Awareness (PDF).
Added 5-4-09
Magical Lupus Dream
by Jeimy Torres
My cold and lonely winter break was horrible. My poor soul was sick to the bones with Lupus. The meat practically fell off my long skinny, fragile bones. As I slept the long and painful time away from my mindless mind, I dreamed about the most magical and beautiful family dinner that I could ever have. As the medicine rushed through my veins, I saw a bright and shiny light. As the ultraviolet rays touched my sensitive skin, I could feel the warmth of my family’s love we once had. Suddenly, I could hear my mother calling my lovely name. I could smell the sweet fragrance of cinnamon running though my dead body. As I felt a corpse touch my cold and mindless body, I turned like a scared ghost to see a rectangular table full with food, and it was as if all of my past Christmases were coming to life. It seemed as if I was in a time machine running though my unorganized memory. Then bam, I slowly woke up to my painful body just a few inches away, but with my condition, it felt like miles away. My mom was there taking care of me like a guardian angel, while I slept away in my magical dream.
Added 2-12-09
Live, NOW
by Babs Montalban
Read Babs's story, Live, NOW (PDF).
Added 1-21-09
Lupus
by Jeimy Torres
Read Jeimy's story, Lupus (PDF).
Added 1-21-09